Broken Ice
by Kniteshadow
Summary: In a painful turn of events, Nabiki finds herself regreting her past mistakes. How will Ranma's mother react to the middle Tendo's change of heart? How will Akane? Read and find out. Story complete with corrections. Thank you to all who have reviewed.
1. Prolog

Broken Ice

By Kniteshadow

Chapter 1 - Prologe

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

_Author's note: This story was originally a one-shot for an idea I was bouncing around, but I have decided to continue the story line and finish it out. It all begins shortly after the failed wedding attempt._

It had been a good day for Nabiki. As she walked towards the ice cream parlor, she smiled as she recalled the events of the day. First there was the fight during lunch. Kuno had challenged Ranma and the bets were favoring Ranma as usual. But during the fight, Rouyga showed up and started to challenge Ranma at the same time. With the two of them fighting Ranma, the student body started to bet against him. But when the fight was over, Ranma was victorious and Nabiki was several thousand yen richer.

Later during lunch, Ranma had gotten hit once again by water. While in his cursed form, Kuno appeared and grabbed Ranma-chan in a very obscene glomp. As luck would have it, Nabiki had chosen that particular moment to snap a photo of Ranma-chan while she was being molested. As the shutter clicked, the camera caught Kuno with his arms wrapped around a very wide eyed and highly upset Ranma-chan.

After Ranma-chan kicked Kuno through a window, she demanded that Nabiki turn over the negatives. Nabiki calmly responded by informing Ranma-chan that she didn't respond to threats very well. She then told Ranma-chan that if she wanted to get the negatives, she would have to meet her at the ice cream parlor to negociate the price.

Nabiki would never admit it to anyone, but over the months her heart had softened towards the martial artist now living in her home. She had already decided that she was going to let Ranma off the hook with just buying her a nice big bowl of ice cream. She smiled though, as she thought of how sweet chocolate chip ice cream was going to taste and of how much fun it was going to watch Ranma squirm while she 'negotiated' the price.

As Nabiki walked by a small shop she heard loud voices. Thinking this would be a good opportunity to gather information, she peeked inside to observe what was going on. She immediately saw the back of a man pointing a gun at the sales clerk and demanding money. The clerk was scared to death and was fumbling with the cash register. She then noticed the man was waving the gun between the sales clerk and someone else she couldn't see at the far end of the store.

Snooping for information was one thing, but getting killed was another thing all together. She began to quietly slip away from the shop, but suddenly froze when she heard a familiar voice from inside the shop.

"_No! It can't be!_"

Nabiki hesitated and looked towards the shop. She was torn between fleeing and having to make sure she was right. Without really thinking, she slowly crept back into the shop and crawled on her hands and knees behind a counter to get a better look. For a few moments she couldn't see anyone in the shop, but was suddenly startled when she heard the robber yell out, "If you so much as twitch, I'll fill you and both the brats full of holes!"

From across the room she heard, "You bastard! Only a coward threatens little kids with a weapon"

Nabiki's heart stopped for a second, "_Oh my god! Ranma!_"

Nabiki at that moment was able to peer around the edge of the counter. She couldn't see the robber, but Ranma was clearly visible. He was not in his usual casual offensive posture, but was instead standing straight up with both of his hands at his side, palms open and facing back. Behind him were two very small children, one about three and the other possibly four years old. Their eyes were large and tears had been clearly streaming down their cheeks. Both children were completely terrified and clutching tightly onto Ranma's Chinese pants while trying to hide behind him. She could see why Ranma hadn't beaten the crap out of this guy. If he moved, the children would get shot. As fast as Ranma was, a bullet would be, at a thousand feet per second, much faster and much deadlier.

Ranma suddenly noticed Nabiki and he let his eyes show the tiniest bit of emotion as he mentally pleaded for Nabiki to run for help. Nabiki was always able to read a person's emotions and understood what he wanted her to do. She gave Ranma a quiet nod of her head while she thought to herself, "_Ranma, please don't do anything foolish. I'll run for help if you can just hold off for a minute or so._"

But before she had a chance to move, she heard the robber shout at the cashier, "I'm getting sick and tired of your stalling! If you don't open that register right now, I'm gonna blow your head off!"

Nabiki's eyes went wide as she heard this and froze as Ranma started to move. She watched as Ranma's legs began to coil up and his whole body tightened up like a steel spring.

The robber yelled, "That's it sucker! I'm sick of your crap!"

What Nabiki couldn't see was the robber had just started to move the muzzle away from Ranma and was now bringing it around towards the clerk to finish him off. As he did this, Ranma started his counter attack. Keeping his muscles tight, he allowed himself to drop and his legs to compress. He began to lean forward and when he was at the perfect angle, his legs shot out and he propelled himself across the shop towards his enemy, his hands now locked into rock solid fists as he streaked toward his target.

The moment Ranma was out of Nabiki's sight she heard three very loud bangs as the robber fired the Russian pistol. Her ears rang painfully and she felt a thud as something heavy fell to the floor. Seconds passed as Nabiki waited, but she heard nothing more. For the first time she looked towards the children and saw them safe and unharmed, but staring across the shop with the look of absolute horror in their eyes. "_Oh my god…_" she thought, "_Ranma…please, no…_"

From somewhere deep inside her, she found the courage to look around the corner. There she saw Ranma laying on the ground, barely moving with blood starting to pool around him. The crushed form of the would be robber could be seen imbedded in a case by the wall. He fortunately, was no longer a threat. With desperate urgency, she jumped up and ran over to Ranma. Turning, she gave the terrified clerk an icy stare and said in a voice that spoke of intense pain and misery if he failed, "Call an ambulance and the police…NOW!"

Nabiki then knelt down next to Ranma. She could see that he was still breathing and she reached down, picked up his hand and held it in hers. As her eyes filled with tears and her voice started to crack, she scolded Ranma, "You idiot! Why didn't you wait? I could have gotten the police and you would have been okay. Oh god Ranma, please hang in there! Don't die! Please,…I …"

Overcome with emotion, the young woman who was better known as the Ice Queen buried her face against Ranma's chest and cried uncontrollably. As she clutched him close to her, she no longer cared that she was being covered in his blood; her only thought was that Ranma was dying. In her grief, Nabiki didn't hear the approaching sirens. But as her emotions racked her soul, painful guilt tormented her about her past treatment of Ranma. Visions of photos, aggressive fiancés, rigged fights, and piles of yen came back at her with the force of a fist. Nabiki began to realize, perhaps too late, that she cared for Ranma a lot more than she ever thought possible.


	2. A Mother's Observation

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

A Mother's Observation

Nabiki hated hospitals. Sitting in the waiting room while the doctors worked on Ranma only reminded her of her own mother's short, but painful stay in much the same place.

The ride to the hospital had been a blur of fast paced motion as the paramedics quickly began to work on Ranma. Not thinking, Nabiki had followed them out to the ambulance and stood by the door while he was placed inside. When one of the attendants asked if she was a friend of his, she nodded yes and was helped inside the ambulance.

Her normal mask of ice forgotten, she could only stare as the paramedics continued to work on Ranma. Visions of I.V.'s, blood soaked bandages and oxygen masks haunted her and refused to let her turn away. The eerie blip of the cardio monitor timed out the seconds as they made their way to the waiting hospital, one beat at a time.

As she now sat in the waiting room, the middle Tendo's thoughts were interrupted by a small commotion down the hall. She looked up to see Ranma's father and mother walking towards the desk. They were accompanied by her sisters, Akane and Kasumi, as well as her father, Soun. A doctor entered the waiting room and walked over to the families, and after a while, pulled Genma, Nodoka, and Akane aside to talk with them.

Kasumi walked over to where Nabiki was sitting and gently sat herself down. She placed a hand on Nabiki's, "The doctor is talking to Ranma's parents about his condition."

Nabiki kept her eyes on her sister's hand and the soothing comfort it was giving her, "I figured as much. So why's Akane with them?"

"You know our sister as well as I do. She can be somewhat stubborn when she wants to."

Nabiki looked up at her sister and for the first time since this started, smirked sarcastically, "Stubborn is a pretty tame word when it comes to Akane, sis."

Kasumi saw the streaks on her sister's face and gasped, "Nabiki…. You've been crying."

"Yeah, you could say it's been one of those days."

Without thinking, she reached in her purse and pulled out a soft handkerchief, "Here, you can use this."

Nabiki wiped her eyes and cheeks with the hanky. When she was finished, she folded it and offered it back to her sister, "Thanks sis. I can imagine I pretty much look like hell."

As Kasumi took the hanky back, she looked closely at her sister for a moment. _"This is not like Nabiki at all. She's seen Ranma get hurt time and time again and it never had this kind of reaction on her. Could it be that something has changed?"_

"Were you with him?"

Nabiki looked up at her sister for a moment before looking again at her hands, "Yeah. I saw the whole thing. He was going to meet me at the ice cream parlor, but instead wound up getting shot while protecting a couple of kids. I saw it all, Kasumi…the blood, the paramedics….I…"

Nabiki took a couple of deep breaths before shaking her head slightly as she looked over at her sister, "Damn it! This isn't me, sis! Here I am, the so-called Ice Queen of Furinkan High School. I make money deals every day and don't bat an eye at how I do it. Yet, here I now sit, bawling like a little 8 year old. What's the hell's wrong with me?"

Kasumi smiled as she placed her hand on her sister's, "If I were to guess, I'd say you're having some feelings for Ranma. Sometimes when you see someone you care for get badly injured, it becomes hard to concentrate."

Nabiki's eyes widened, "You've gotta be kidding me, sis. There's no way I'm growing a crush on Ranma! He already has four fiancés that we know of with no telling how many more out there waiting to surprise us. He's dirt poor, he gets terrible grades, and he can't keep his foot out of his own mouth. That's not counting his curse, the amazons or the bunches of challenges he seems to attract."

Kasumi looked at Nabiki for a moment before she answered, "This is true, but he is also honest to a fault and will protect his friends and family without caring for his own safety."

Nabiki allowed herself to smile, "Yeah, he's got that going for him."

She looked at Kasumi for a moment, "There's no way I could be attracted to a jock like that, sis. When I'm finish school and college, I'm going to set my sights on the business world. How could I possibly do that if I was attached to Ranma?"

"Nabiki, I'm afraid that only you have the answer to that question. That is within you, and you alone."

Nabiki smirked at her sister, "Somehow, I knew you were going to say something like that."

Kasumi patted Nabiki on the back, "Don't worry, little sister. I'm sure you'll figure it all out."

Nabiki took a deep breath, "I know, Kasumi. It's just that I-."

They were interrupted by a loud yell, "He was what?!"

Nabiki and Kasumi both looked up to see their youngest sister, Akane screaming as she pulled away from her father, "You're saying that pervert was with another girl?

Soun could be seen trying to calm his youngest daughter, but Akane wouldn't have any part of it, "Leave me alone, father! If that Casanova was out on a date and got hurt, then it serves him right!"

With that, Akane turned and stormed out of the waiting room, her shoes stomping loudly as she left.

Nabiki glanced over at Kasumi and back to Ranma's parents, "What the…? What's she going on about this time?"

The doctor bowed to Nodoka and Genma before excusing himself. Genma then headed over to where his friend was standing. The two of them spoke a few words before they both headed out the door.

Nodoka looked over at the two girls for a moment before walking over and sitting across from them in a chair. She took note of the middle Tendo daughter's face and the fact that she had been crying before she spoke, "The doctor says Ranma will be alright. The bullet struck his collar bone and grazed a blood vessel before it passed through his shoulder. The trauma and the rapid loss of blood had sent him into shock. We are very fortunate that he was brought here as fast as he was."

She took a deep breath and paused for a moment, "He's resting for now but the doctor said he will be able to have visitors tomorrow. If he does well, he will be released from the hospital in a few days to finish his recovery at home."

Kasumi smiled warmly, "That's great news Auntie! We've been very worried about him."

Nodoka nodded politely, "I thank you both for your concern."

The Saotome matriarch's expression hardened slightly, "Would either of you mind if I asked a question?"

Kasumi smiled, "No, Auntie. What would you like to know?"

When she was sure she had both the girl's attention, she continued, "You no doubt saw the reaction of my son's fiancé a couple of minutes ago."

Both girls blushed slightly in embarrassment as they nodded.

Nodoka shook her head slightly, "Her actions were very disrespectful for a young woman who is supposedly engaged to my son. I do expect her father to have a talk with her later on that matter."

She waited a few moments before continuing, "What I want to know is, do either of you know who this other person is. The doctor said my son was brought in with a female companion."

Kasumi placed her hand over her mouth, "Oh my."

Nabiki chuckled slightly, "I think I can answer that, Auntie"

"Oh? Is my son seeing another woman?"

Nabiki began to calm down as she continued, "No, nothing like that. He was with me."

"You, Nabiki?"

Nabiki nodded and Nodoka once again took note of the middle Tendo's condition and raised an eyebrow, "May I ask what happened?"

Without realizing it, Nabiki slipped into her businesswoman mode, "Ranma and I had some things to discuss concerning some costs he had acquired and we were going to meet downtown right after school to get it taken care of. Unfortunately for Ranma, he got caught up in a robbery on the way there. He was protecting a pair of kids and when the thief got distracted, Ranma attacked him. It happened pretty fast, but the robber got off a few shots and one hit your son. The rest you already know."

Nodoka listened carefully to Nabiki's story and felt the pride for her son growing within her as she learned of the children he protected. When Nabiki was finished, Ranma's mother smiled warmly as she stood up and nodded towards the exit door, "Ranma is going to be resting all night and I think it would be a good idea for us to go home and return tomorrow. I'll come by early tomorrow to pick up Kasumi, and you and Akane can come by to visit after school."

Nabiki stood and picked up her things, "That's a good idea, Auntie."

She rubbed her tummy for a second, "Wow, I can't believe how hungry I am right now."

Nodoka smiled warmly, "Well then, I'm looking forward to fixing a nice meal for you tonight."

Kasumi began to protest, "But Auntie. That's my jo-"

The older woman chuckled a bit as she lead the two sisters out the door, "Now, now my dear. You wouldn't rob me of the chance to cook for my friends and family, now would you?"

Kasumi blushed slightly as she smiled, "Alright Auntie, but only if you allow me to help."

Nodoka chuckled, "That sounds like a great idea. Perhaps we can share a recipe or two."

As the three women headed home, Ranma slept soundly while his body began to heal.


	3. A Tense Evening

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

A tense evening

Dinner that night started out pleasant enough. Nodoka and Kasumi worked together in the kitchen preparing a delicious meal while Genma and Soun played yet another game of shogi. In reality, the two men took every opportunity to cheat against one another and any resemblance to a real game of shoji was purely coincidental.

Genma was in his human form for once. He always preferred to lounge in his panda form and would be so now if it weren't for the presence of his wife, Nodoka. She had told him earlier how she felt about dirty animals roaming through their host's home, and made the point quite clear. The single inch of steel she exposed on the family honor blade was more than enough to convince her portly husband that she would take no excuses on the matter.

After moving a piece, Genma rubbed his chin for a moment, "I tell you, Tendo. The boy's getting soft."

The head of the household reached over and moved a piece, "How so, Saotome?"

Genma looked up at his long time friend, "I trained Ranma to be the best there is. For him to be taken down by a common street punk….It's a stain on the family honor."

"But Saotome, you heard what the doctor said. The boy was shot during a robbery attempt. I know he's nearly mastered the art, but I wouldn't expect him to be able to dodge bullets."

Genma's glasses reflected a momentary flash of light, "How can he be the best if some street punk can take him down so easily? I'm telling you, he needs more training!"

Soun was about to comment when Kasumi came up to them, "Father? Uncle Saotome? Dinner is ready."

As Genma rushed off to sit at the dinner table, Soun reached down and quickly adjusted a few pieces on the board. He chuckled to himself as he walked to the dining room, "_I can always count on Kasumi's cooking to be your weakness, old friend_."

After everyone was seated and dinner was served, the two families sat down to enjoy their meal. Unlike most evenings at the table, Genma was not shoving the food into his mouth like a machine on overdrive. In fact, he was almost civil in the way he was eating. Perhaps it was the absence of his son at the table, or maybe the smirking glare he was getting from Nabiki. More than likely, though, it was the unsettling sight of the family katana sitting on the floor between him and his wife.

Akane was having trouble eating her baked fish. Her thoughts kept going back to the visit at the hospital and how she lost control of her anger over hearing Ranma was with another woman. At first she was worried sick about him when she heard he had been hurt and was rushed to the hospital, but after the doctor mentioned the girl she didn't hear another word. Her anger had taken over and not for the first time, the youngest Tendo was regretting her actions.

As she placed a small piece of fish in her mouth, she continued to think about Ranma, "_What am I going to do? I made a fool out of myself in front of the whole family! I know I shouldn't have stormed out like that…. But why was he with another woman, anyway? Stupid Ranma! Why does he have so many girlfriends? I...It doesn't feel right without him sitting here for dinner…_"

And so it went for Akane. All of this wrestling with her thoughts was not missed by her older sister, Nabiki. The middle Tendo kept an eye on Akane as she casually ate her dinner, taking note of the occasional glances her sister was making to Ranma's place at the table.

She picked up a bit of rice and turned to Akane and asked, "So tell me, Akane. Are you going to come with me tomorrow after school to visit Ranma?"

Akane looked up suddenly, "What do you mean?"

Nabiki smirked, "Well, he is your fiancé, after all."

Akane's cheeks began to blush, "I-I guess so."

Nabiki picked up another piece of food, "We'll need to leave the school quickly, though. I don't want to bump into any of the other fiancés on the way there."

Akane darkened a bit, "What if she's there?"

Nabiki smirked, "_I've got you now, little sis_!"

"What if who's there, Akane?"

Akane looked over at her sister, "You know. The girl the doctor said came in with Ranma. That one."

Nabiki tilted her head slightly as she picked at her food, "Ah, that one. You know, Akane. I heard she was with him in the ambulance when he was brought in to the hospital."

Akane's eyes widened slightly, "You know who she is? Who, Nabiki? Tell me who!"

Nabiki looked at the tip of her chopsticks for a moment before looked over at Akane, "Now Akane. You know just about nothing goes on around here without me knowing about it. If anyone was with Ranma, you can be sure I'd have all the details."

Akane's face grew red and she suddenly reached into her pocket. She then pulled out a one thousand yen note and slammed it on the table in front of Nabiki. "Here! I'll pay what every you want, just tell me who he was with!"

Nabiki looked down at the note and then up to her sister. She didn't like turning down money, but this was going to be one time she needed to, "I'll tell you what, Akane. This one is on the house."

There was a short gasp from around the table as Nabiki leaned forward and continued, "You see, little sister…Ranma was with me."

The young Tendo's eyes shot open and she glared at Nabiki, "You? Why in the world would he be with you?"

Nabiki shook her head slightly before glaring back, "Akane, Akane, Akane. You should know by now that my business operations are just that; mine and mine alone. However, if you had stayed in the hospital for a few minutes, you would have heard me tell Auntie that Ranma and I were going to meet downtown to take care of some things. Unfortunately, Ranma intervened in a robbery attempt and was shot protecting some little children. When the ambulance came to take him to the hospital, I was the one that rode with him."

Nabiki's words were calm and even, but for Akane, those same words stung like a slap in the face. She was suddenly very aware of the rest of the family now looking at her. "_Dear god, what have I done? I lost it again! Why can't I control my temper?_"

Nabiki continued to gaze at Akane with one eyebrow slightly raised as if waiting for her sister to respond. Akane no longer wanted to confront her sister on the subject and turned her eyes towards Nodoka. If she was looking for some sympathy from the Saotome matriarch, she was greatly disappointed. Nodoka's face was a mask of unemotional coldness, looking at Akane with a plain, unblinking gaze.

Lowering her eyes, Akane stood up, "I-If you'll excuse me, I need to lie down for a minute. I'm not feeling very well."

Akane then bowed slightly before leaving the room. When she was out of the room, Soun cleared his throat and stood up, "Ah…excellent dinner as always, Kasumi.

When she smiled back, he turned to his friend, "Saotome, what do you say we go finish that game we started?"

Glad to put some distance between him and the katana, Genma quickly got up, "Excellent idea, Tendo!

Kasumi stood up and picked up a few dishes. She paused and glanced over at her sister, "Nabiki? Would you mind giving me a hand here?" Her smile was as pleasant as always but her tone was off enough for Nabiki to know this was not a request.

Nabiki stood up, "Sure, sis. No problem." "_I might as well face the music_."

The two sisters gathered the remaining dishes while Nodoka asked, "Would you like some assistance?"

Kasumi bowed slightly and smiled, "No, Auntie, that's alright. We have it well in hand, thank you. This will be done shortly, so why don't you relax a bit until we're done?"

Nodoka bowed politely and Kasumi turned and headed to the kitchen with the last of the dishes. Nabiki was stacking some plates on the counter when Kasumi entered the kitchen and didn't notice the older sister had closed the door and placed her back against it. When Nabiki looked up, she saw Kasumi with her hands clasped in front of her, standing with her back against the door and very effectively cutting off the only escape route.

Nabiki was taken back her older sister's uncharacteristic attitude, "_Uh-oh…._"

Instead of being angry, Kasumi just smiled as she looked at her sister.

Nabiki sighed, "Look sis, you know as well as I do that Akane had that coming."

Kasumi continued to smile as she tilted her head slightly to one side, "Hmmm?"

"_God, I hate it when she does that!"_ "Akane needed to be told. You heard Auntie at the hospital, she wasn't happy at all! We can't just let her go flying off the handle every time she feels like it."

Kasumi looked at her sister for a few moments longer before speaking, "While it's true that she did need to be spoken to, that was father's job, and not yours."

Nabiki snickered, "Like that's going to happen anytime soon. You know as well as I do that he can't face that sort of thing rationally anymore."

Kasumi smiled a bit, "Let me ask you something, Nabiki. How do you feel about Ranma? Do you like him?"

Her eyes grew large, "Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"Hmmm?"

"Damn…. Yes I like him. Heck he's practically family as it is. But that doesn't mean I want to marry the guy. Not when he's already engaged to Akane and two other psycho suitors. You and I both pushed her on him when he first got here, remember?"

Kasumi walked away from the door and began to work on the dishes. As she did, she turned to her sister, "Remember Nabiki, the family agreement was for Ranma to marry one of the Tendo daughters. Both of us are still potential fiancés for Ranma until he marries either Akane…or one of us."

Nabiki looked at her sister for a moment and sighed, "Yeah, I remember."

She then stretched for a bit before turning towards the door, "Look Kasumi, I'm going to do a bit of studying and then I'm off to bed. It's been a long day."

Kasumi turned and smiled, "Alright Nabiki. Pleasant dreams."

As Nabiki headed up the stairs towards her room, Nodoka walked over to where the two men were playing shoji. She bowed to the Tendo elder, "Soun, if I may speak to you before my husband and I turn in for the night?"

Soun was a bit startled with the woman's appearance, "Why, of course Nodoka. Would you like to talk in the garden, it's a warm evening."

She smiled warmly, "That would be lovely, thank you."

The two parents headed outside and slowly walked along the path around the koi pond. "Soun, I want to thank you for the kindness you have shown us these past few months. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't offered your home to us. Although my husband may not show it we are deeply indebted to your hospitality."

"Think nothing of it, Nodoka. After all, we will soon be related when our children get married."

Nodoka bowed slightly and smiled back, "Ah yes, the agreement that my son wed one of your daughters. Tell me Soun, Nabiki and Kasumi do not yet have fiancés do they."

The elder Tendo shook his head, "No, not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

Nodoka looked down at the koi pond for a moment before looking back up, "Akane was very disrespectful this afternoon. A young woman of her age should not be screaming at the top of her lungs at a respected physician just because she thinks her fiancé was with another woman."

Soun lowered his eyes, "I know. She has been like this for a while."

"I understand, Soun. It is always difficult for children to lose their mother. That is why this is difficult for me to say."

"What do you mean?"

Nodoka folded her hands in front of her, "This isn't the first time I've seen such behavior. Time and time again, she has jumped to the worst possible conclusion. I know my son is no angel and his social skills leave a lot to be desired, but I also know he has always been there for your girls when it counted."

Soun smiled at that and she continued, "However, I want you to know that if Akane does not begin to control these dishonorable outbursts of hers, I will be forced to end the engagement between her and Ranma and switch it to one of the other daughters."

"You-you cant be serious!"

"Indeed I can, Soun. Don't worry, you and I will talk of this again later. Until then, good night."

With that, Nodoka bowed and then turned and headed back towards the house, leaving a shocked Soun staring at the koi pond.

Upstairs a young woman removed a set of high quality head phones from her head and placed them on her desk, "_Damn…!_"


	4. Changes in School

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Changes in School

It was later that evening when the household prepared to turn in for the night. The youngest Tendo had cried herself to sleep shortly after having her actions exposed to the family by her older sister, Nabiki. Her dreams filed with visions of guns, hospitals and a stricken fiancé, Akane woke several times during the night, only to roll over and be tormented by more of the same.

Nabiki had gotten dressed for bed and was getting her things ready for school. Her book bag was similar to most student bags in that it contained books, school assignments and supplies. But unlike most students' bags, it also carried, accounting tablets, photo albums, a cell phone, and a compact camera. Nabiki Tendo was not just an ordinary student, she was a shrewd businesswoman and needed to carry the tools of her trade.

She held up the sheet of photos and shook her head. Each sheet contained six photos, one set of Ranma in his female form, and one set of her sister, Akane. On a normal day, Nabiki would sell these photos to Kuno for several thousand yen. Most of the money went to the household expense, yet she hesitated to pack up the photos for the morning. Shaking her head, she cursed under her breath, "_Damn! I don't think I can do this anymore!_"

Nabiki sighed and returned the photo sheet to its binder. She placed the binder in her desk drawer and was about to close it when she noticed something and picked it up. It was a pair of framed photos picturing Ranma and Ranma-chan doing a kata. Both were mirror images of each other in the same position. She smiled for a moment as she recalled the time and effort she spent on the photos and dual frame. It was one of her best works.

She smirked for a moment as she placed the photo frame on her desk, "_You see what you've done, Saotome_?

Nabiki pointed down at the drawer, "_I can't even sell photos now without feeling guilty about what it might do to you_."

She got into bed and just before turning off the lamp, looked once again at the framed photos now sitting on her desk and half grinned to herself, "_I sure hope you know what you're getting me into, Saotome, because for once, I don't have a clue_."

The next morning it was Kasumi, as usual, who was the first to awaken. Long before any of the other members of the household had even stirred, the oldest of the Tendo daughters had already done her stretching exercises, taken a bath, dressed and was about to make breakfast for the family. Today was to be a bit different for her as Kasumi discovered someone in the kitchen humming to herself as she prepared breakfast.

Kasumi chuckled, "Good morning Auntie. There's no need for you to do that sort of thing while you're here as our guest. That's my job."

The older woman turned towards Kasumi and smiled warmly as she continued to prepare the food, "Good morning to you as well, Kasumi. I came down earlier and noticed there was no one here, so I decided to give you a hand."

Kasumi smiled as she picked up her apron and with practiced hands, put it on, and began to help, "I can see I'm not going to change your mind, am I?"

Nodoka chuckled, "I'm afraid not, dear. You know, I really miss this. There's nothing more enjoyable for a mother than to cook for her family. Now that my son is nearly grown up, I relish every moment that I can cook and care for him."

She stopped her work for a moment and took a deep breath. Kasumi reached over and gave her a quick hug, "Its okay, Auntie. I also understand how enjoyable it is to cook for the ones you love and care for."

Nodoka smiled for a moment and nodded her head. After she finished chopping the vegetables, she turned to Kasumi, "Do you mind if I ask you a question? It is a personal one and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but it's something I need to know."

Kasumi turned towards the woman and answered, "You're like family to us, Auntie. Even if your question is personal, I'll try and answer it for you."

Nodoka smiled warmly as she continued, "I apologize if this embarrasses you, but I do wish to know. Kasumi, how do you feel about my son?"

Kasumi chuckled, "Well, he is honest, loyal, a bit-."

Nodoka interrupted, "I'm sorry dear, I meant what are your feelings for him. Do you like him? Do you hate him?"

"Oh…. Alright Auntie, I'll be honest with you. I've felt for a long time as if Ranma were my younger brother. Yes, I do like him very much, but I don't love him."

"I see…."

"I really care for your son, just not in that way. When the engagement was first revealed to us, I was very afraid that I was going to be forced to give up something very dear to me."

The older woman looked at Kasumi for a moment and after noting the blush forming on her cheeks, smiled, "You already had someone, didn't you?"

Kasumi nodded, "When it was agreed that Akane would take the engagement, I felt relived that I wasn't going to be forced into the engagement. At the same time, I also felt guilty that we had pushed it onto Akane at such a young age."

Nodoka smiled, "He must be someone very special. Will I get to meet this gentleman?"

Kasumi took a deep breath, "I haven't seen him for quite some time, Auntie."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's hard to be separated from someone you care for."

She was about to continue when Nabiki stumbled into the kitchen. Mumbling something about mornings, she picked up a mug of strong coffee that Kasumi had made early that morning. She took a deep sip and nodded to the two women before walking out the door and into the dining room.

Kasumi chuckled, "Now that Nabiki is awake, we had better hurry. The rest of the family will be up soon."

Breakfast was very calm for once. With Ranma in the hospital, Genma had no one to toss out the window and into the koi pond. There was no morning practice today and because Ranma wasn't there to dunk him, the stench of wet panda, for once, did not fill the dining room with its unappetizing odor.

When breakfast was finished, Nabiki and Akane grabbed their book bags and lunches before heading off to school. The first half of the walk was strangely quiet as they made their way through the cool morning air. Nabiki looked over at her sister a few times and wondered how she felt after what happened last night. Akane was somewhat quiet and a bit withdrawn this morning.

Wondering what was on her sister's mind, Nabiki asked, "Hey Akane. Are you still coming with me to the hospital to visit Ranma after school?"

Akane's head shot up, "Y-yes. Why wouldn't I?"

Nabiki shook her head slightly, "Look, I'll meet you at the school gate right after the last class. The hospital is only a couple of blocks away from there, so if I miss you or one of us can't go right away, we can both meet there. Okay?"

"Yeah…Okay."

Akane was not in a good mood. Her normal trip-wire temper was on the verge of exploding and without her fiancé to take it out on, she was a pressure cooker with no release valve. Fortunately for the youngest Tendo, a different sort of release was patiently awaiting for her arrival at the school gate.

As the Tendo girls approached the school gate, a lone student stood several yards from the inside steps and waited. With his bokken in one hand, and his other hand on his waist, Tatewaki Kuno attempted to strike an impressive pose. Unfortunately for the kendoist, it was these very same antics that earned him considerably more ridicule than respect from his fellow students.

Kuno spread his arms wide as the two girls entered the school grounds, "What's this? The fair Akane Tendo unaccompanied by the villainous Saotome? Surely the gods themselves have smiled upon me this day! Come to my waiting arms, lovely maiden!"

Nabiki called out, "This isn't a good time, Kuno-baby"

Kuno, of course was not listening, "Be gone, mercenary one! Leave now, so that the fair Akane and I may embrace and share in our passionate love for each other!"

Akane, in the meantime was reaching new heights of anger. Her battle aura was glowing so brightly that it was visible to nearly everyone. Everyone that is, except for Kuno. He on the other hand took the youngest Tendo's movement towards him as an invitation and charged her with his arms spread wide apart. Akane didn't even slow down. When Kuno was almost upon her, she bent her knees slightly and pulled back her fist to her waist. A moment later, a sickening thud was heard as well as felt as Akane's fist impacted the kendoist's groin. While half the school's male population groaned, Kuno fell to the ground and curled up in excruciating pain. Akane didn't give him a second look as she continued to walk to class.

Nabiki smirked at Kuno as she walked past him, "I told you it wasn't a good time, Kuno-baby"

The upper classman could only whimper in reply.

It wasn't until lunch time that Kuno was eventually able to make a reappearance. Nabiki was sitting at a table eating her lunch while she went over her accounting books. As she quickly checked off her balance sheet, she heard a strained voice just above her, "Nabiki Tendo? A word with you."

Nabiki looked up and smirked, "Well, well. I didn't expect you to be up and about so soon."

"Your sister did seem a bit testy today. But that is not why I have come to you. I wish to do business."

Nabiki smiled sweetly, "Well then. Have a seat, Kuno-baby. Business is what I'm all about."

The kendoist eased himself slowly into the chair across from her, "I have come to purchase images of my fiery love, the pigtailed girl."

Nabiki smirked, "So, you've given up on my little sister?"

"Nabiki Tendo…It is not your business what I wish to purchase. It is only the merchandise itself that is your concern."

"Everything is my business, Kuno-baby. But if it's photos of your pigtailed girl that you are looking for, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"And why not?"

She folded her hands and answered coolly, "You bought all of the available sets. On top of that, my photographer is no longer under my employment, and unfortunately, that also means there will be no further photos."

He glared at her, "Surly you must have something."

She smirked at him for a moment before reaching down to her bag. Moments later she pulled out an envelope and placed it on the table. She covered the envelope with her hand as she spoke, "Alright, Kuno-baby, there is one last item. I must warn you, though, this is something special…something I've been saving."

"Oh?"

She smiled slyly, "This envelope contains a one-of-a-kind photo of you and your true love in a romantic embrace."

Kuno gasped, "Truly? Do you really have such a photo? I must have it!"

Before he could grab the photo, Nabiki pulled it close to her, "This is the last one, Kuno-baby. There will be no more photos for sale after this. Understand? No more. The price for this little gem is twenty thousand yen."

Kuno gasped, "Twenty thousand? That's robbery! I'll not pay it!"

She shrugged and picked up the envelope as if she was going to tear it in half, "As you wish."

"No! Don't! I'll pay it!"

Nabiki picked up the offered bills and handed him the envelope. While she placed the bills into her wallet, Kuno had already ripped the envelope open to gaze at his prize. It was not what he expected.

"Wha…? What is this travesty?!"

Nabiki smiled sweetly, "Whatever do you mean, Kuno-baby."

Kuno was furious as he turned the photo towards Nabiki, "You know very well what I mean, Nabiki Tendo! What is the meaning of this?"

The photo showed Kuno reaching around from behind and hugging a very male and very upset Ranma. Nabiki chuckled to herself as she remembered the hot cup of tea hitting Ranma-chan just as Kuno grabbed her, triggering the curse and giving Nabiki the golden opportunity to photograph Ranma stuck in Kuno's embrace.

She smirked at Kuno before turning and walking away, "That is exactly what I said it was. A one of a kind photo of you embracing your true love. Ta-ta."

As she left, Kuno tore up the photo and yelled, "I absolutely hate you, Nabiki!"

She was almost humming to herself as she walked to class, "_You don't know how happy that makes me feel, Kuno-baby_."

A half hour before class ended, Akane was having some problems. For most of the day, Ukyo had been passing notes onto her desk asking where Ranma was. Akane had pretty much ignored the occasional piece of paper that hit her desk, and so about fifteen minutes before school was to end, Ukyo began tossing notes every few seconds.

"Where's Ranma?"

"Is he on a training trip?"

"Did you poison him with your cooking?"

"Is he with Shampoo?"

Finally having enough, Akane grabbed one of the pieces of paper and quickly wrote a response, "Why should I tell you?"

"I'm his finance!"

"So!"

"What do you mean?!!"

"I am too!"

"All you do is hit him!"

"All you do is bribe him with food!"

"You poison him with your food!!"

Akane could stand no more and she jumped out of her seat and got into a battle stance and screamed, "That's it!"

Ukyo jumped out of her chair and faced off with Akane, "Let's go sugar, I've been waiting for this for a long time!"

They didn't get far though as the teacher tossed a pair of erasers at them both, "Ladies! We do not fight in class! Pick up your buckets of water and stand in the hall until class is over, then I want you both back here for detention!"

The two girls looked over at the teacher as they realized how far they had crossed the line. As he glared and pointed to the wall, they walked over and picked up the buckets of water. They then went outside and into the hall and waited for class to finish.

After a few minutes Akane spoke somewhat softly, "Ranma's in the hospital, Ukyo."

Ukyo turned sharply to her, "What?"

"It happened yesterday. Some punk was robbing a shop and threatening some little kids. Ranma jumped in and saved them, but…."

Ukyo hissed, "What happened to him?"

Akane sighed as her eyes watered, "He got shot, Ukyo. The bastard shot him."

Ukyo placed her hand over her mouth, "Oh my god! How bad was it?"

"Bad enough. But they were able to get him to the hospital in time and stop the bleeding. If he feels up to it, he'll be coming home tomorrow."

"Are you going to visit him?"

Akane lifted her buckets up a bit, "Yeah, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit late."

Ukyo smiled, "You and me both, Sugar. You do know I'm going with you to the hospital, right?"

Akane nodded as she waited for school to let out, "Yeah, I figured as much."


	5. Hospital Visits

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Hospital Visits

When the final bell signaled the end of the day, Nabiki moved quickly to beat the rush of people that usually milled around the entrance to the school. She had heard on her grapevine about her younger sister's little spat with Ukyo and knew in advance Akane wouldn't be along until at least fifteen minutes later.

She smiled to herself as she walked the short distance to the hospital, "_Well, well. It looks like little sis isn't going to make it until later. That was defiantly a no-brainer. I should have taken bets on those two getting detention_!"

It wasn't very long before Nabiki reached the steel and glass building of the Hospital. Once inside, she visited the reception desk and was told Ranma had been moved to another room upstairs. She thanked the receptionist and made her way upstairs. The room was close by the elevators and once she found the door, she knocked twice and entered.

"Hi Ranma."

Ranma had looked up expecting to see his mom or a nurse, "Hey Nabiki. How ya doin?"

Nabiki quickly glanced at the heart monitor and I.V. needles, along with the large bandage on his shoulder. She smiled a little as she nodded towards his shoulder, "I'm doing just fine, Saotome, how about you?"

Ranma smirked, "You know me, Nabiki. Nothing keeps me down for long."

He chuckled, "I thought for a second you were mom. She said she was going to the cafeteria to get me a snack. Should be back in a few minutes or so."

Nabiki smiled, "Hospital food isn't filling you up, I take it."

"You got that right! Those little trays they give ya are hardly a snack for a guy like me!"

Nabiki pictured Ranma downing hospital food like he does at home and laughed, "Well, when you come home, with both your mom and Kasumi cooking, you'll have more than enough."

Ranma smiled for a while as they shared a laugh, "_Why is she being so nice to me? She's been here a whole ten minutes and she hasn't tried to bill me for anything. She's kinda cute when she's like this…_"

"Hey Nabiki?"

"Yes?"

Ranma turned a bit so he could see her better by his bed, "The doc said that I was really lucky. That if you hadn't helped to get me here as fast as you did, I might not have made it."

Nabiki ran her finger across the chrome bedrail for a moment, "Ranma, I may be the Ice Queen of Furinkan but I'm not completely heartless. I do take care of my family, and like it or not, you and your mother have become family to me."

Ranma smirked, "I noticed ya didn't mention the panda."

Nabiki grinned evilly, "Well, there are limits to my generosity, Ranma."

They both laughed a bit before Ranma pointed to the bandage on his shoulder, "No, I mean it Nabiki. Whether ya collect or not, I owe ya one. I owe ya my life."

Ranma then reached over to her and offered his hand to shake, "Thanks Nabiki."

Nabiki's eyes widened for a moment as she realized what Ranma was implying. Instead of taking his hand, she smiled warmly, "I'll tell you what, Ranma. You and I got off on a bad foot the first time we met and from then on, it's been down hill ever since. I don't want anything from you except to be your friend."

She then offered her own hand out to Ranma. He looked at the offered hand and raised an eyebrow, "Friend?"

"Yeah, you know. I help you. You help me. We have fun together. It's like being engaged without the icky stuff."

Ranma laughed as he grasped her hand and shook it warmly, "Alright, Nabiki Tendo. You got yourself a deal!"

* * *

Five minutes earlier, a different sort of "friendship" was playing out.

"It's all your fault!"

"You started it!"

Akane and Ukyo had just gotten out of detention and were running to the hospital to visit Ranma. As was typical for the two fiancés, keeping things civil between them always proved somewhat difficult.

"Hah! I was just pointing out the truth about your toxic cooking!"

"Don't give me that! All you can cook up is soggy pancakes!"

Ukyo stopped and grabbed Akane by the arm, "You take that back!"

Akane roughly pulled her hand off and shoved it aside, "Make me!"

The two squared off once again but were interrupted, "Nihao!"

Akane lowered her stance a bit and glared at the Amazon, "What do you want, Shampoo? We're busy!"

The lovely, purple haired Chinese girl smiled playfully, "Akane too too rude. Shampoo only want to see husband. You tell Shampoo where Ranma is, then Shampoo go."

Akane was about to tell Shampoo exactly where she could go when she was interrupted, "Hohohohohoho. Well now, isn't this nice. All the so-called fiancés in a nice, friendly little get together.

Akane glared at the girl, "Beat it Kodachi! This doesn't concern you!"

"My, such rudeness. Very well then, tell me where I might find my Ranma-sama and I'll be off."

Ukyo smirked, "For once I agree with Akane. The three of us are the only ones that have any rights to an engagement. You don't have anything on him, sugar."

"Spatula girl too too right. Crazy girl go home and play with flowers. Ranma no want crazy girl."

Akane's face began to redden, "Damn it! I don't have time for this. Visiting hours are almost over!"

Shampoo turned sharply, "What you mean?"

Kodachi pointed to the hospital down the street, "The only place here with visiting hours would be that hospital."

"Aiyaa, Ranma in hospital!"

Shampoo bolted down the street followed closely by Kodachi. The two remaining girls looked at each other for a moment before taking off after them.

Ukyo turned towards Akane and smirked, "You know, sugar. You really need to control that temper of yours."

Akane clenched her fists as she ran, "Tell me about it!"

By the time the fiancé brigade was nearing Ranma's room, he and Nabiki had just agreed to be friends and were shaking hands.

Ranma turned his head slightly, "Do you hear a rumbling sound?"

No sooner had he said it than the door burst open, "What's Nabiki doing here?"

"Hohohoho! Nabiki, you sly little wench! I'm going to have to teach you a lesson!

"Why sneaky girl holding husbands hand. That shampoo's job!"

"Raanmaaaa! What are you doing to my sister?!"

"Nabiki obstacle. Obstacles are for killing!"

Bonburi's, oversized spatulas, and ribbons suddenly appeared and were readied for the attack. Nabiki released Ranma's hand and backed away from the bed. Ranma sensed her movement and watched out of the corner of his eye as she backed up. Cringing in pain, he climbed out of the bed and placed himself between her and the others. He then raised his good arm in a fist, "Whatcha gonna do, attack a girl with no martial arts skill?"

Before anyone could answer, the distinct sound of a sword being drawn was heard followed by the bright gleam of a finely polished katana being held in front of the four girls' faces.

Nodoka rotated the blade to reflect the light in the girls' eyes, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Uh oh."

Shampoo gulped, "Sword warrior!"

The woman glared at the four girls with cold fire in her eyes before carefully sheathing the family honor blade, "This hospital is a place of great honor. You four have dishonored it with your disrespectful actions today. You are a disgrace to your families and a disgrace to my son!"

Shampoo took a step towards Nodoka, "Amazon law say-"

"Silence! You're laws are meaningless here! I will hold a meeting in the Tendo household tomorrow at six in the evening. If you are serious about your claim on my son; you will be there on time, you will be respectful, and you will be properly attired."

She turned for a second and noted that even is his present condition, Ranma was still attempting to protect Nabiki. She gave her son a warm smile before turning her attention to the others and glared coldly, "Visiting hours are now over!"

Nodoka then placed her hand on the hilt of her sword to make her point clear.

When the four had left, she quickly turned and grabbed Ranma, "What do you mean by getting out of bed? Those stitches might have opened up."

Ranma eased towards the bed, "You saw them, Mom. Those girls were gonna attack Nabiki."

Nodoka smiled as she helped Ranma back into the bed, "I was right outside the door and saw everything. Although, I'm a bit angry at you for getting out of bed, I'm still proud of you for attempting to do what was right."

She turned her attention to the middle Tendo, "How are you doing, my dear?"

Nabiki took a deep breath, "Looks like you showed up just in time. Thanks, Auntie. I've had to deal with that bunch before. I'm no martial artist, but I have my ways of taking care of business."

The older woman raised an eyebrow, "Nothing dishonorable, I hope."

She smiled and looked over at Ranma, "No Auntie, not any more."

Once Ranma was back in bed and Nodoka was certain there was no damage to the healing wound, she reached in her Kimono and pulled out a fold of paper. "On the way back from the cafeteria, I happened to run into your doctor. He told me that ordinarily people with injuries like yours would be staying for at least a couple of days more."

Ranma looked saddened, "Rats."

His mom smiled as she continued, "I wasn't finished, dear. He also said that because you are healing so quickly, you will be released tomorrow morning."

He clenched his good fist and pulled it tightly, "Yes!"

"I'll be by here tomorrow with a taxi to take you home."

Ranma was smiling from ear to ear, "Thanks Mom! Man, I can't wait to get out of this place! You can't believe how tired I am of bedpans and needles."

Nabiki leaned over a bit and smiled, "Not to mention hospital food, eh Ranma?"

As Ranma and Nabiki laughed, Nodoka put the paper back in her Kimono, "Don't worry, son. You only have to endure your "torture" for a few hours more."

She reached over the bed and kissed him on the forehead, "Get a good night's sleep."

Nabiki gave his arm a quick squeeze as she and Nodoka walked out, "See you tomorrow, Ranma."

The two women then left and headed home. Along the way, Nodoka glanced over at the middle Tendo and wondered, not for the first time, about her relationship with her son.

"Nabiki? May I ask you something? Something a bit personal?"

"About Ranma?"

The older woman chuckled, "Very perceptive of you. Yes, if you don't mind, I would like to know how you feel about him. Is there something special going on between you two that I should know about?"

Nabiki's cheeks flushed slightly as she took a deep breath, "It's true that I like him, Auntie. I probably like him a lot more than I'm willing to admit right now. With all the stuff that's been hitting him lately, he needed a friend and quite frankly, so did I. I don't think that either of us are ready or willing to get too deeply involved at the moment, though. As you saw in the hospital, there's also the constant problem of the other fiancés, and most importantly, Akane. She is the only true fiancé recognized by our families."

"Thank you, Nabiki. I thought as much, but I wanted to hear it from you as well."

Nabiki smiled to herself, "_I can't tell her the whole truth. Not right now_."

"Auntie, I need to ask a favor of you?"

Nodoka smiled, "Certainly. What can I do for you?"

Nabiki looked over at the older woman for a second, "I'm going to be making an announcement this evening right after dinner. It's very important and will affect the entire family. When I do, I'm pretty sure the fathers are going to act up. Kasumi can pretty much control Dad, but I need you to keep Mr. Saotome in line."

"Does this concern Ranma?"

"Not really right now. But it will after he comes home."

A somewhat sadistic smile formed on Nodoka as she patted her katana, "Don't worry, dear. I have a feeling my husband will be a perfect gentleman this evening."

By the time the two had arrived home, Kasumi was already beginning the food preparations for later that evening. Nabiki stuck her head in the door and grinned, "Hey Kasumi."

The older sister looked over and smiled as she chopped the carrots, "Hello Nabiki. How was your day? Did you get to visit Ranma?"

Nabiki smirked, "It went okay and Ranma's doing pretty good. Looks like he'll be home tomorrow to finish his recovery."

"That's wonderful, Nabiki. I'll have to make a special meal for him tomorrow."

Nabiki gave a more serious look, "You should probably talk to Auntie before you decide on that, sis. She's going to have a family meeting tomorrow at 6 and all the fiancés will be invited.

"Oh my."

Nabiki chuckled, "I thought you'd say that. Listen, I need to make an announcement this evening right after dinner. It's pretty important and concerns the whole family."

"What is it, Nabiki?"

"I'm not saying right now, but all I need is for you to keep Daddy under control. I have Auntie watching the panda and I only need you follow my lead and keep Daddy calm while I'm talking."

Kasumi nodded as she continued to prepare dinner, "Alright Nabiki, I'll do my best.

Later that evening, Kasumi knocked on Nabiki's door and opened it, "Dinner is about to be served, Nabiki."

"Alright, sis. I'll be right down."

Nabiki opened up her book bag and placed the photo album inside. She then picked up a separate framed photo and also placed it in her bag. Before she left her room, she glanced over at the photos of Ranma on her desk and smiled at the images, "_Well, Ranma. There's no going back for me now_."

She gently traced her finger around the two images before turning out the light and leaving the room. When she got downstairs Kasumi and Nodoka were already serving dinner.

Kasumi watched as Nabiki placed her bag under the table and raised an eyebrow, "Nabiki, would you please tell the fathers we're serving dinner? Akane is already washing up from her workout."

Nabiki went to go tell the fathers and Akane. When she returned, everything was set and ready for dinner. During the meal, Akane was especially quiet. She said nothing, and avoided looking at Nodoka whenever she could. When she finished eating her dinner, she stood up and excused herself.

Nabiki raised her hand, "Akane, I have something important to announce to the family. Since in a way it concerns you, I think that you might want to stay and listen."

Akane nodded and sat back down, "_What can my sister be up to? She still owes me an explanation for this afternoon_."

When dinner was finished and the dishes cleared, Nabiki stood up, "Sorry to keep you all here, but I have an announcement. As many of you know, I have been providing a large portion of the income that keeps this family afloat. It pays for the food, repairs the house and dojo, and fills in when needed for every day necessities."

Nabiki reached in her bag and pulled out the photo album, "While some of the income comes from the interest I receive on loans and other speculations, the majority of it comes from the sales of photos I've taken of Ranma and Akane"

Akane growled, "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have that Kuno after us!"

Nabiki smirked, "Hang on, sis. I'm getting to that. As I was saying, these photos earned hundreds and sometimes thousands of yen each day from buyers such as Kuno. Unfortunately, as Akane just mentioned, these photos also brought unwanted attention to both herself and Ranma. Because of this, and the problems they have caused, I am no longer going to be selling any more candid photos of this family."

Akane looked surprised, "No more photos?"

"No Akane. I won't be taking any photos of you or Ranma unless you want me to. It's over."

She turned to the rest of the family, "However, we now have a bigger problem on our hands. Without that income, we now don't have enough money to pay our bills. Even if Kasumi rations out the food we have right now, it won't last week."

She was interrupted by Soun's wailing, "Waaaaa! We're all going to starve!"

Kasumi winked at Nabiki before turning her attention to Soun, "Father! Please control yourself!"

Soun looked up at his oldest daughter and cringed at what seemed to be disappointment. Feeling quite guilty, he quickly forgot his emotional outburst and sat back down."

Nabiki smiled, "Thank you, Kasumi. While this is indeed a problem, it isn't the end of the world. There are two plans that I've come up with that will keep our bills paid and our refrigerator full. The first plan involves you, Daddy."

Soun shrugged his shoulders, "What do you mean, daughter?"

Nabiki continued, "Just outside these walls stands a very important part of our family's heritage, the Tendo dojo. It was built by you, Father, to be used as a martial arts classroom. Before mom died, you were using that dojo to teaching students our version of the art."

"Nabiki, I haven't taught since then. It-it brings back too many memories for me."

Nabiki opened up the binder, pulled out several photo sheets, and slid them across the table towards her father. Photos of both Akane and Ranma were clearly visible.

She pointed at Akane, "Is this what you want for your daughter, Father? Do you want her image plastered on every pervert's locker to be ogled at? Do you want strange men to recognize her and follow her to school, or back home?"

Soun looked at the photos for a moment before glaring back at his daughter, "No, it's not what I want! You said there was a second option as well. What is it?"

"Ah, yes. My second plan calls for Kasumi to go to work at the library. I inquired and found out that they are looking for a good, hard working girl about her age to put books back on the shelves during the day. It runs for 8 hours a day, every day from Monday through Friday."

"Kasumi smiled weakly, "I could do that, Nabiki."

Nabiki continued, "This plan does have its problems. With Kasumi gone, we will have to take up the slack for the household duties. I can do the clothes and floors, Akane can do the cooking.

Akane clapped her hands, "Yippee!"

Soun paled, "That's it?

Nabiki looked at Kasumi and then back to her father, "Only you and Kasumi are old enough to work, Father. One of you will have to earn a living for us, or we will be in serious trouble."

Soun shrugged his shoulders, "Even if I agreed to teach, we don't have any students. That sort of thing takes time to develop."

Nabiki reached inside her bag and pulled out some papers. She then walked over to her father and sat down next to him, "Look here. I've already lined up four students for you. Their parents will be paying five thousand yen a month for the classes.

Soun gasped as he read the sheet, "You already have students? How did you-."

"You should know me by now, Father. I have my ways of doing business."

He glanced at the names and the information before looking back at his daughter, "These are all children, Nabiki. The oldest is only eight years old."

She got up and walked over to her place and sat down, "You were teaching Akane at a far younger age. This shouldn't be any anymore difficult."

Soun picked up the paper and after folding it, placed it in his pocket, "I guess I don't have a choice, now, do I? Well then, it looks like the Tendo dojo is once again open for business."

Akane clapped, "That's great, Father."

The rest of the family, as well as the Saotomes cheered the Tendo Elder.

When the commotion had died down a bit, Nabiki reached into her book bag and pulled out the photo frame, "Classes start tomorrow and will be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And don't worry, father, we'll all chip in and help when you need us."

As the family nodded in agreement, Genma puffed out his chest, "You bet, Tendo! Why, between the two of us, we'll have those kids whipped into shape-."

Nodoka interrupted, "I'm afraid not, husband. The cost of repairing our home is much more than we have in the bank. You will also have to get a job in order to help make the payments. I think tomorrow is a good time to start looking, don't you?"

Genma cringed inside at the icy tone of her voice and slumped his shoulders, "Of course, dear."

As the rest of the room breathed a sigh of relief, Soun pointed to Nabiki's hand, "What is that you're holding, daughter?"

She walked over to where Nodoka was sitting, "This is my own way to earn a bit of extra money. Mind you, it isn't steady income, but it's honest and can help. In addition to my normal photography, I also make portraits like this. This one is for Auntie here, but I can do other subjects just as easily, for a price, of course."

Nabiki handed the photo to Nodoka, "I want you to have this, Auntie. It's one of the first I made, and still one of the best."

The older woman gasped when she saw the photo. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she held it against her chest, "Thank you, Nabiki!"

She then turned the photo so that everyone could see it. Akane's eyes widened as she stared at the very well-done and professional looking portrait of her fiancé.


	6. Nodoka's Scorn

_Author's notes: First, my apologies for the long delay to this rather long chapter. Finals took up much of my time these past couple of weeks. Although she was a very minor character in the manga, Nodoka will become a much more important force in this and later chapters. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of her._

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

The Scorn of Nodoka

The rest of the evening was filled with talk of the opening of the school. While at first, Soun was a bit hesitant to take on new students, especially young ones, the encouragement from his daughters began to win him over.

The next morning, after Nabiki and Akane had gone off to school, Nodoka called a cab to meet her at the hospital in about an hour. She might have taken the cab to the hospital herself, but cash had been a bit tight lately, and it was nice day for the walk. When she had reached Ranma's room, he was sitting up in his bed and reading a manga.

He looked up and put the book down as she walked in, "Hi Mom."

Nodoka smiled as she walked over to the side of the bed and kissed him on the forehead, "Good morning, Ranma. How are you feeling today?"

He placed his hand over the bandage, "It's feeling pretty good, actually. It's not throbbing and I can move it a bit."

"Remember not to overdo it. I just spoke with your doctor and he said that you will need quite a bit of rest. You may be healing very fast, but you can still re-injure yourself."

Ranma sighed, "Aw, Mom. You know me. If I don't stay active, I get all antsy and stuff."

She handed him his clothes and gave a concerned look, "Even so, you need to take it easy until the doctor says otherwise."

He flashed a smile, "Alright, Mom. For you, I'll take it easy for a while."

"Thank you Ranma. I'll be waiting for you outside. When you're done getting dressed, we'll get you checked out and head on home."

Once Ranma was done, they checked him out of the hospital and headed home. When they arrived, Kasumi was waiting at the gate to greet them.

Ranma waved at her, "Hey Kasumi. How ya doing?"

The older Tendo smiled warmly, "I should be asking you that question, Ranma."

He placed his hand behind his head, "I'm doin okay. Doc says I need to take it easy though. No fighting and that sort of thing."

"Would you like to come inside and rest a bit?"

He shook his head, "I've been sitting on my butt for two days, Kasumi. If it's all the same to you, I want to go to the dojo for a while. I need to loosen up."

Nodoka gave him a worried look, "Remember Son. The doctor said to take it easy until you're healed."

He smiled and waved as he turned and headed towards the dojo, "Don't worry, Mom. I'm just going to meditate and stretch, and maybe do a few easy katas."

As the young martial artist took off to the Dojo, Nodoka glanced over to Kasumi, "Has he always been like that?"

Kasumi chuckled as she and the older woman headed inside the home, "From the day Ranma set foot in our home, he's always been very active."

Nodoka grinned, "I wonder where he got that from? It certainly wasn't his father."

Kasumi's eyes went wide as she giggled, "Auntie!"

Nodoka broke into a soft laugh as the two entered the house.

It was a little after noon when Kasumi entered the dojo carrying a covered tray. She found Ranma sitting down near the shrine and meditating. He had taken off his shirt and was wearing a tank top. Smiling to herself, she quietly tip-toed over and sat down a few feet in front of him.

"_Well, I'm glad to see he hasn't been doing anything too strenuous. My, he sure looks like he's concentrating. Let's see what this does to his train of thought._"

She lifted the cover off of the tray and let the aroma of the delicious foods fill the air. It didn't take long for Ranma to open his eyes, "I smell…Whoa! This looks great! Thanks Kasumi!"

As Ranma dug in, Kasumi chuckled, "You're welcome, Ranma. Your Mom made some of her chocolate chip cookies for you as well."

He paused for a moment and flashed a big smile, "You guys are the greatest!"

As Ranma continued to eat, he noticed that Kasumi was still sitting in front him. He blushed a bit, "Don't worry, when I'm done, I'll take the tray and stuff back in for you."

Kasumi smiled, "That's very kind of you, Ranma. But I'm waiting for you to finish because I need to ask a favor of you."

"He smiled, "Sure! Whatever you need, Kasumi."

When he was done, she gathered the dishes on to the tray, "Ranma, while you were in the hospital, it was decided that father is going to be teaching again."

"Mr. Tendo's going to be teaching? That's great!"

"Yes, we're all very excited about it."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Father hasn't taught in a long time Ranma. I'd like you to be here and stand by just in case he needs help."

He flashed her a smile, "Sure Kasumi. No problem."

She picked up the tray and stood up, "Thank you, Ranma. The new students should be here in a couple of hours."

She paused for a moment before leaving, "I almost forgot, your mother wants to talk with you when you're done with the class. It has to do with her announcement tonight."

After Kasumi left, Ranma stood up and walked over to one side of the dojo. Taking a deep breath, he slowly began a level one kata.

It was two hours later when the first students arrived. Kasumi answered the door and greeted a woman and a pair of young boys. She smiled warmly, "Good afternoon, you must be our new students. My name is Kasumi, please come in."

The woman entered and after removing her shoes, bowed politely, "Thank you for your hospitality. My name is Hiroko Sakamoto. These are my sons, Mikato and Hiroshi."

Kasumi smiled warmly at the youngsters, "Welcome. Your teacher, Sensei Tendo will meet you in a bit, but first I need to speak with your mother."

She smiled at Hiroko, "Today's class will be about 2 hours long and there will be a short break after the first hour if they need it. Sensei will begin on a very easy level for them at first and increase the difficult as the class progress."

Two more women with one child each knocked at the door. Kasumi bowed to her guest, "Excuse me while I get the door. That is probably the other two students."

She answered the door and invited the two women inside, "Good afternoon and welcome to the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. My name is Kasumi and this is Hiroko. She also has a pair of children in the class."

The first woman bowed, "My Name is Yumi Tanaka and this is my daughter, Kumiko."

The second woman also bowed, "My name is Hana Fujita and this is my son Tetsuo. I am pleased to meet you."

Kasumi smiled warmly, "I am very pleased to meet you all."

She pointed towards a doorway, "If you will all follow me, we will take the children to meet Sensei Tendo."

At that very moment, Soun Tendo was seated at the dining room feeling a bit nervous. Kasumi had found all of his cigarettes and disposed of them and had locked the liquor cabinet. Taking a deep breath, he sipped the green herbal tea she had prepared for him. As he put it down, Kasumi entered the room followed by the parents and their children.

Kasumi bowed, "Sensei, these are your new students."

Soun stood up and as she introduced each member, he bowed politely. When she was finished he cleared his throat and smiled at the parents, "I am very pleased to meet you today. The class we will be holding will be at the beginner level and will only advance when the students are ready to do so."

Looking at the new students, he continued, "Even though these are beginner classes, I will expect you all to give your best effort to perfect the exercises we work on."

He then looked back towards the adults, "Parents are welcome to stop by and observe their children's progress, although today we will only be gauging what they already know and can do."

Kasumi smiled at the parents, "If you wish to stay here and wait, I will be preparing some tea."

Soun cleared his throat, "Alright then. Students if you will follow me, we will go out to the dojo."

Once they had stepped outside, the children began to whisper among themselves, "Wow they got a pond!"

"I'll bet it has fish in it!"

"Yeah, this place is cool."

"I wonder if they teach older kids. I have a brother in high school."

Once they reached the dojo, Soun stopped and turned. "Alright students, this is the Tendo Dojo. When you come here for the rest of your classes, I want you to come through the garden here to the dojo. I will be waiting for you inside."

When the students nodded he continued, "Alright then, let's get started."

Soun brought them inside and had them stand off to one side. Once he had the students arranged in position, he moved to the front of the class. He was about to speak when he noticed the students were not looking at him, but somewhere behind him.

One of the students whispered, "Whoa…."

When Soun turned around to see what had attracted their attention, he smiled and nodded. Ranma was nearing the end of his kata. In slow and extremely precise movements, he advanced through the positions one step at a time. The muscles on his back and arms rippled under his control as neared the kata's end.

When Ranma was finished, he noticed the students and blushed slightly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Tendo. I forgot you were holding a class today."

Soun waved his hand at Ranma as he turned to the class, "Students, allow me to introduce Ranma Saotome. Heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts and probably the best martial artist I have ever known."

One of the student's eyes got large as he exclaimed, "Hey! I know him! He saved my cousin a few days ago."

"What happened?"

"Some thief tried to rob the store downtown with a gun. He was gonna shoot him and his sister when Ranma knocked his lights out!"

"Wow!"

"Cool!"

Soun smiled for a moment as the children talked. He then walked over to Ranma and placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, "Ranma, how would you like to assist me here?"

Ranma reached behind his head and fiddled with his pigtail, "Uh, sure Mr. Tendo. What can I do for ya?"

About a half hour later Nabiki was looking for Kasumi. As she stepped outside, she noticed her older sister standing outside the dojo with her hands clasped in front of her. When Nabiki walked up to her, she noticed Kasumi seemed to be shaking.

Nabiki placed her arm around Kasumi, "Hey sis. What's wrong?"

The oldest Tendo turned and revealed the heavy stream of tears running down her cheeks as she pointed towards the dojo, "Look at them, sister. Just look at them!"

Nabiki turned to where her sister was pointing and her eyes widened. Although the student's backs were to the girls, they could see though the door of the dojo as their father gave instructions on the movements of the katas. Ranma walked among the students and gently made adjustments to their arms and legs.

"So he actually went through with it. This is a proud day for the family, Kasumi."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled, "It just hit me with so much emotion to see Father teaching again. I just couldn't take my eyes away. I'm sorry, sis. Did you want something?"

"Yes. Auntie wants to talk to us about something that she's going to be doing right after Daddy is finished with class. I'm pretty sure it's that meeting she talked about earlier."

Kasumi turned, "Oh my, I almost forgot. Auntie needs to talk with us right away. We're going to have to prepare for tonight!"

After the class, the family had a quick dinner while Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki prepared for the night's meeting. Ranma and Soun prepared the Dojo as per Nodoka's instructions while she got dressed. When they were finished, Ranma hurried upstairs to clean up and get into the clothes his mother had set out for him. He was almost finished when there was a knock at the door.

Kasumi answered the door and bowed, "Thank you for coming and being on time. Please follow us out to the Dojo."

The three young women followed Kasumi and Akane. Ukyo wore a modest light blue Kimono with small prints of red flowers, and Kodachi word a dark red kimono with small black roses. Shampoo, however, wore a red Chinese dress with a long slit up the side. When they reached the dojo, there was a small square table in the center with several places set around it.

Kasumi pointed to the far side of the table. "You three and Akane are to sit at those places and wait for Mrs. Saotome. I will return with her shortly."

The four girls sat at the table for a few minutes before Kodachi spoke, "Today you simpletons finally get what's coming to you. I will be named the only fiancé and you will all be tossed out like yesterday's garbage."

Ukyo sneered, "In your dreams, rich girl. At least I have an agreement to back up my claims. You only have your drug induced fantasies."

Shampoo pointed a finger, "Husband no want crazy girl. Always make sick with funny powders."

Kodachi was about to respond when Akane whispered, "Hush you guys….I hear someone coming."

Moments later, Ranma entered the dojo wearing an all white yukata. He was followed by Nabiki, Nodoka, and Kasumi. Nabiki wore a light blue kimono with dark blue and pink flowers. Kasumi wore a deep blue kimono with light blue and white flowers. Nodoka, however, wore an all white silk kimono.

Ranma stood a few feet off to the left of Akane. He had a serious look on his face and kept his eyes straight ahead. Nabiki and Kasumi took their places at the ends of the table opposite the four girls. After they had sat down, Nodoka walked over to Ranma and stood in front of him. She then bowed and handed him the family honor sword. After he returned the bow and sat down, she turned and took her place at the table between Nabiki and Kasumi.

Nodoka sat with her hands folded on the table as she looked over the four young women in front of her. Her eyes studied their dress, their posture, and even the way they breathed. When she got to the Amazon, she raised an eyebrow as she took note of the silk dress.

Finally, she unfolded her hands and placed them flat on the table. As she spoke, she looked at each of the fiancés, "My name is Nodoka Saotome, Matriarch head of the Saotome clan, and grandmaster of the Saotome art of the katana."

Ranma's eyes went wide for a moment, "_Saotome art of the katana_?"

Kodachi raised an eyebrow slightly, "_Interesting, perhaps my dear Ranma has an important background after all_."

She continued, "I called you four here to discuss the terms of your claims of engagement to my son. The events I have witnessed have forced me to step forward and take charge of this mess before the families' honor is damaged beyond what is salvageable. This is a serious matter and I trust there won't be any outbursts or trouble from any of you, am I correct?"

The four nodded and she continued, "Alright then. We will begin with Akane Tendo. You, Miss Tendo, had the strongest claim on my son. The agreement between your father and my husband, although made without my approval, is legitimate and binding with no possibility of error."

Ukyo gasped, "Huh?

Shampoo interrupted, "Kitchen destroyer no want hus-."

Nodoka slammed the palm of her hand on the table, "Silence!"

The Amazon jumped back as Nodoka glared, "I will not tolerate any more of your insubordination! Be quiet, or leave through those doors, never to return."

As Shampoo stared wide-eyed, the older woman glared at the other girls, "That goes for the rest of you as well. Am I understood?"

The four nodded and she returned her attention to Akane, "As I was about to say…you, Miss Tendo had the most legitimate case for your engagement to my son. Up until recently, I have chosen to ignore the constant beatings you have seen fit to inflict on him. You have repeatedly chosen to tell the world how much you hate him, yet you are jealous of every woman who comes near him. You never listen to the problems he seems to attract, but instead jump to conclusions and punish him with brute force. All of this I might have ignored simply because of your age and because my son is no angel and probably deserves to be set straight now and then. That all changed in the hospital when you stormed out while the doctor attempted to explain what happened to your fiancé. Your actions that day were a stain on your family's honor as well as mine. As of now, I have dissolved the engagement between you and Ranma.

Akane gasped, "Nooo…."

The three other girls smiled in unison, "_Yesss_!"

The matriarch's eyes softened, "You may still court his affections, Akane. But unless he asks you to marry him, the arranged engagement you had with him is now over."

Akane was almost in shock, "_She can't do that, can she? Oh my god, she's going to give him away to one of these hussies! What can I do? Oh Ranma, what have I done_?"

Ranma looked sadly at his now former fiancé, "_Akane…._"

As Akane began to realize what she brought on herself, Nodoka turned her attention to the Kuno daughter, "Kodachi Kuno. In contrast to Akane, you don't have any real claim on Ranma at all. There was never an arranged marriage, and my son has not asked you to marry him. I do not mind a young woman chasing after my son; it's actually a compliment to his manliness. Yet, you do not behave honorably, Miss Kuno. You were party to the destruction of my family home, you use dishonorable poisons to fight people, and after I told you all to wear proper clothing, you chose to wear a leotard under your kimono."

The girl's eyes got wide as Nodoka continued in an icy voice, "Yes, that's right. Do you actually think that I wouldn't notice? Your family claims to have Samurai roots, and yet I have seen nothing to justify these claims. From your dishonorable tricks to win challenges, your brothers demeaning attitude of women, and your father's lunacy as a school principal; your family has proven unfit for an engagement with my son."

The young Kuno girl found it hard to look at icy glare she was receiving. Nodoka leaned forward a bit, "There was no engagement to begin with you, Miss Kuno. However, should my son pursue a relationship with you, I will allow it.

Ranma raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, "_Yeah, fat chance of that, Mom_."

Nodoka turned her gaze to the okenomyaki chef. After a few moments of an icy glare, her face softened slightly and she placed both of her hands together.

Her voice was soft as she spoke, "Miss Ukyo Kuonji. Of the three other girls, only you had a true challenge to the Tendo-Saotome agreement. My husband's dishonorable action of accepting your dowry is a binding contract."

The other three girls gasped and even Nabiki raised her eyebrows in surprise. Ukyo's feelings of elation were short lived, though, as Nodoka's voice hardened, "Yet you threw it away, Miss Kuonji. You participated in the destruction of my home and in the process made the Saotome family homeless. We are living here on the generosity of the Tendo family. Were it not for them, we would now be out on the street. Do you know how much it is going to cost to repair our home? The costs are very high, young lady, well over one hundred times the value of your little cart."

She let the words set in for a bit, "Can you pay for your share of the damage, Miss Kuonji?"

She shook her head slightly as she gazed down at the table, "No…I-I don't have that kind of money, Mrs. Saotome."

Nodoka's gaze was piercing as she folded her hands once again on the table, "I thought not, young lady. With your inability to pay for the damages to my home, you have forfeited your claim to my son. Ukyo Kuonji, as of this moment, your engagement to my son has been dissolved."

Ukyo covered her mouth with her hands as tears began running down her cheeks, "_Nooooo! This can't be happening! Dear god…what have I done_?"

Ranma looked up at his childhood friend. It was only his oath to his mother earlier that kept him in his seat, or the hurt in his friend's eyes might have driven him to do otherwise. He could only look at her pain, "_Damn it Ukyo…I told you to be careful around my mom. I'm…I'm sorry, my friend_."

As Ukyo began to sob, Nodoka turned her gaze on the Amazon. For the better part of a minute, she looked harshly into the Chinese girl's eyes. When she spoke, her voice was like ice, "Shampoo. Of all the girls here, it is you that I am the most displeased with."

The Amazon didn't even flinch at the accusation, but instead stood her ground proudly.

Nodoka missed none of this as she smirked, "A warrior to the end."

She suddenly threw out her hand and pointed at Shampoo, "It's a pity you know nothing of a warrior's honor! Your whole tribal law is based on trickery and lies! When my son first came to your village, you challenged him to a fight. Did you tell him that you would kill him if he won as a girl? No you did not!"

Shampoo reeled back as if slapped, her eyes wide as Nodoka continued, "According to you, Amazon law says that if he were to beat you as a male in a challenge, you automatically become his wife. Very interesting Shampoo. Tell me, when did you challenge Ranma to a fight of marriage?"

As shampoo shook her head, Nodoka slammed both hands on the table, "You didn't, did you? You used dishonor to deceive my son into thinking you had become his wife. You use your so-called all mighty Amazon law and claim your three thousand years of traditions have to be honored by everyone, and yet, you don't have the decency to dress properly."

Shampoo looked at her Chinese dress as Nodoka continued, "I asked you to dress properly and that means to honor my Japanese traditions. Instead, you come to this meeting dressed like a common whore, unfitting of the engagement, much less the marriage you claim over my son."

The Amazon girl held her head up proudly, "Shampoo no care what Ranma mother think. Shampoo only care that Ranma married to Shampoo."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow "Of course you don't care. That's the problem with you, Shampoo. You just don't care. Not about Ranma's feelings, and certainly not my own. I imagine you don't even care about taking part in the destruction of my home. If you think that I'm going to just bow down to your Amazon laws, you're sadly mistaken. Shampoo, your engagement to Ranma has been dissolved. Consider your marriage annulled."

Shampoo jumped to her feet and pointed at Nodoka, "You no have right! Ranma Shampoo's husband. I kill for husband!"

Nodoka yelled, "Ranma!"

There was a blur of motion as Ranma suddenly moved with speed almost too fast to see. In less than an instant he was behind the Amazon, holding both her wrists firmly behind her with his good hand. He whispered dangerously into her ear with a coldness that chilled her to the bone, "Don't ever threaten my mother again, Shampoo. Now sit down!"

Shampoo's legs began to shake and she wisely sat back down. As Ranma walked to his seat there was a soft click as Nodoka locked the katana back in its sheath.

Akane's eyes widened, "_How did she get that? Ranma had it with him_."

Nabiki shook her head slightly, "_That was a bad move, Shampoo. Auntie had that katana out as soon as Ranma tossed it to her and you didn't even see it. Even with his injury, Ranma would have killed you before he let you harm his mother._"

Nodoka continued as she placed the Katana on the floor next to her, "My son still considers you a friend, Shampoo. For that, and that alone, should he wish to court your affections, I will consider it."

Ukyo bowed her head slightly, "Mrs. Saotome?"

"Yes Miss Ukyo. What is it?"

Ukyo swallowed, "Uh…What of the Tendo agreement. As I understand it now, you've ended the engagement between Akane and Ranma?"

Nodoka raised an eyebrow, "Yes…"

"What I mean is, does the end of the engagement also mean the end of the agreement?"

A smile formed on Nodoka's lips, "No, Miss Ukyo. The Tendo Saotome agreement is still binding. It now falls on these two girls to fill that promise."

Kasumi had been quiet all this time but turned and questioned, "Auntie?"

Nodoka smiled at the eldest Tendo, "Do not worry, my dear. I will not allow the agreement to come in the way of the one you care for. That would not be honorable."

Akane's eyes went wide as realization dawned on her, "That means….that means…."

A cackle rose from the doorway as a figure appeared, "What it means Miss Tendo, is your sister Nabiki is now Ranma's fiancé."

Nodoka picked up her katana and placed her other hand firmly on the hilt, "Good evening, Elder Cologne. I have been expecting you."


	7. Akane's Rage

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Akane's Rage

_From the last chapter: A cackle rose from the doorway as a figure appeared, "What it means Miss Tendo, is your sister Nabiki is now Ranma's fiancé."_

_Nodoka picked up her katana and placed her other hand firmly on the hilt, "Good evening, Elder Cologne. I have been expecting you."_

Nabiki jumped up while looking a bit nervously over at her new fiancé, "Now wait just a minute. I may like Ranma quite a bit, but we never agreed on any kind of engagement."

Ranma pointed an accusing finger at Cologne, "Yeah! Where'd ya get an idea like that? I'm starting to get tired of people trying to run my life by making my decisions for me"

Ukyo glared at Nabiki, "Nicely done, Tendo…You get rid of all of us and keep Ranma for yourself."

Kodachi was suddenly only wearing her trademark leotard while snapping a razor-sharp ribbon, "Hohohohoho! Nabiki you little witch! Did you think you could so easily take my Ranma from me?"

A pair of bonbori appeared in Shampoo's clenched fists, "Die Nabiki!"

Ranma jumped in front of Nabiki and raised his fists, "Hey! She's not a martial artist!"

A large mallet suddenly appeared, "Get away from my sister, you pervert!"

Nodoka's eyes were glowing with anger as she once again drew the katana, "Enough! This ends now ladies, unless you wish to fight me as well."

Ukyo eyed the Saotome matriarch with no small amount of caution, "I-I don't want to fight you, Mrs. Saotome. I just think something isn't right here, that's all."

The woman glared at Ukyo, "You're doing a very poor job of showing it, Miss Kuonji."

She then turned to the rest of the people, "It's obvious that we can't continue this discussion under these circumstances. This meeting is now over. Good night."

Kodachi reached over and picked up her kimono while glaring at Nabiki, "This isn't over, Tendo, not by a long shot. You will regret the day you stole my Ranma from me!"

As the "Black Rose" hopped out of the dojo and cackled in her trademark laugh, Ukyo turned before she walked out the door, "You have some explaining to do, sugar."

Cologne pointed at Ranma, "This changes nothing, son-in-law. We will return soon to discuss this more in depth."

She grabbed Shampoo's hand as she headed out the door, "Come granddaughter, we need to get home."

Shampoo began to protest, "But great grandmother-."

Cologne smacked her over the head with her staff, "Silence child! You still have much to answer to."

"Ouch! Yes Elder."

As the two Amazons left the dojo, Akane glared at Ranma, "I don't care about the engagement, but if you touch my sister, I'll make you wish you were never born."

After the youngest Tendo had left, Nodoka turned to Ranma and Nabiki, "That went poorly to say the least. I never meant for this to turn into such a circus. My apologies to the two of you."

Ranma smirked, "When you're dealing with that bunch, you learn to expect the worst."

She slid the katana once again back into its sheath, "This is getting to be a habit."

When she was finished, she continued, "Now, I'm going to leave the dojo for a while and while I'm gone, I'd like you two to talk about this. If you truly don't want to be engaged to each other, I will break the Tendo agreement."

Nabiki nodded, "That's probably a good idea for us to talk this out, Auntie. We can go over this thing right now before any more craziness gets in the way."

She turned towards Ranma and smiled, "How about it, Saotome? Feel like having a little chat?

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, I'm all for getting things out in the open, but how are we going to have any privacy? You know how the fathers are. As soon as we start talking, they'll be piled up behind the door listening to every word."

Nodoka grinned evilly, "Don't worry, son. I'll see to it you and Nabiki have your privacy."

With that, she bowed to the pair and after exiting the dojo, closed and latched the door. Ranma and Nabiki stared at the door for a moment before speaking at the same time.

"Well that-."

"Do you th-."

Nabiki giggled, "Yeah, this is kind of weird. It certainly isn't what I planned on."

Ranma began to blush a bit as he fiddled with his ponytail, "Well uh, do you want to break it? The engagement, I mean?"

Nabiki smirked a bit, "Well, it's not like we haven't been engaged before, Ranma."

"Yeah, but that didn't turn out very well."

Nabiki nodded as she tapped her chin with her finger for a moment, "That's true, but there were other things at play back then. Let me ask you a question, Ranma. On the evening of that first engagement, how did you feel about it?"

"I don't know…I guess I felt okay. I mean, I knew you weren't going to be hitting me and calling me a pervert and stuff."

Nabiki took a deep breath, "Ranma, it's about time I let you in on a secret of mine. When the engagement was reversed, I was the happiest I had been in years."

"Huh? But you-."

She held up her hand, "Please let me finish. I have always regretted pawning you off onto my little sister when you first arrived. When the engagement was later switched, for the first time I began to feel that perhaps I might have a chance at finding someone to care for. It wasn't until I found out Akane was unhappy with the arrangement that I decided to give you back to her."

"So why did you sell me out to those people at school and stuff?"

"That was before we had our talk at the hospital. We're friends now, Ranma and that means a lot to me. Back when I was doing everything I could go earn money, anyone, even family was fair game."

"I guess so…."

Nabiki smiled as she took Ranma's hand in her own, "Look Ranma, let's forget the engagement a moment. Until something stronger develops, we're friends and as such, you and I will continue to look out for each other. It changes nothing, okay?"

Ranma nodded a bit, "Okay…that sounds pretty good to me, Nabiki."

Ranma frowned for a moment and Nabiki asked, "Is something wrong, Ranma?"

He looked up, "What about my girl half? How do you feel about being around a guy that sometimes changes into a girl?"

Nabiki held onto Ranma's other hand as she purred, "Unlike my little sister, I know your no pervert and that the person inside your girl half is still you. It certainly isn't your fault you have this curse, and to tell you the truth, I like the idea of having a cute little redhead as a close friend. You're certainly no pig, unlike that pervert Ryouga."

Ranma gasped, "You know?!"

Nabiki smirked as she moved a bit closer, "Do you really think that anything goes on in this house without my knowing? Until this engagement changed, I had planned to expose him in front of the entire family once we had the right moment."

Ranma's eyes widened, "What were you going to do?"

"I keep a thermos of hot water handy in the dining room. The next time she snuggled that pig into her cleavage, she was going to have a very wet, and very naked pervert on her lap."

Ranma chuckled, "I'd pay to see that!"

Nabiki smiled as she let go of Ranma's hands and loosely wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug, "So what do you think, Ranma? Are you willing to give this a try?"

In a somewhat clumsy fashion, Ranma placed his arms around Nabiki, "Yeah, sure. I guess. _Damn it feels nice to hold her like this!_ I'm okay with it if you are."

"Alright then."

Reaching up she lightly kissed him on the cheek before releasing her hug and clasping one of his hands, "Shall we go in the house and face the music?"

A bit shocked at the surprise kiss and a bit saddened the intimacy of the contact was over, he blushed slightly, "Do-do you think it's going to get ugly? It's only Pops, Mr. Tendo and the tomboy there now."

As she led him out the door and towards the house, she chuckled, "Whatever happens, I'll back you up, Ranma."

"_Wow! I can't believe this is the same Nabiki! When did she get so darned cute?_"

When the couple walked into the dining room, Soun, Genma Kasumi and Nodoka were waiting at the table. Genma looked up at Ranma, "Well boy, what's it going to be?"

Ranma was about to answer when Nabiki turned and whispered, "Let me answer, okay Ranma?"

When he nodded, she turned her attention to the parents, "We have decided to give the engagement a try. I want to let everyone know that this, under no circumstances, means that we are willing to get married anytime soon. Any surprise weddings like that last mess will be met with Ranma's nearly uncontrolled rage as well as my own brand of pain. Do we make ourselves clear?"

As Ranma emphasized the point by cracking his knuckles menacingly, Soun commented, "Although I was hoping it would be Akane that married Ranma, I will agree with this arrangement as long as the Tendo – Saotome agreement is honored."

Nabiki nodded, "Now that's over with, I need to get some homework done and then get to bed. Good night all."

She then gave Ranma's hand a squeeze and headed up to her room. Ranma blushed slightly at the touch and stammered, "Uh, yeah. I need to take care of some stuff before getting to sleep as well. See ya in the morning."

Kasumi got up and picked up the last of the items from the table, "My, they seem so nice together."

The rest of the evening was spent among the parents taking part in a bit of small talk before turning in for the evening. Although both the fathers were itching to plan another wedding, the ever present Nodoka kept them out of mischief. Later that night, when the parents had gone to bed, Nabiki had just finished looking through her books when there was a knock on her door. She closed her financial tracking booklet and placed it in her drawer, "Come in. The door's unlocked."

When she heard the door open and then close, Nabiki sighed to herself, "_Might as well get this over with_."

She then turned in her chair and faced her visitor. "Hello Akane. What can I do for you?"

Akane was standing with her back to the door. Her fists were clinched so tightly that her knuckles had begun to turn white. Her face for once was almost unreadable, except that her eyes danced in rage.

She took a step towards Nabiki, "You have some explaining to do!"

Nabiki leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, "Why Akane, whatever do you mean?"

Akane pointed her finger at her older sister, "You know exactly what I mean, Nabiki! You arranged this whole thing, didn't you?!"

"Akane, you know I had no hand in what happened this afternoon. That was Ranma's mother's idea to change the engagement."

Akane raised her voice a couple of degrees, "How do you account for that time in the hospital? What were you doing with Ranma that afternoon?!"

She answered coolly, "Really sis, you should learn to calm down. You and I discussed visiting him that morning. Unfortunately, you and Ukyo got detention, so I went to the hospital on my own."

Akane brushed it aside by sharply waving her hand, "Don't give me that! You were holding hands with him!"

Nabiki shook her head, "Had you taken the time to listen for a moment, you and the rest of the fiancés would have quickly learned that Ranma and I were shaking hands to an agreement."

Akane glared, "You expect me to believe that?!"

As she began to lose patience, Nabiki got up from her chair and crossed her arms, "No, I don't suppose I do. But that isn't you, now is it? Instead of listening to your family explain what happened, you, dear sister, flew off of the handle and made violent threats. You, dear sister, allowed your fellow fiancés to threaten a member of your own family. And you, my dear sister, did nothing when Ranma risked opening his wounds and moved to protect me from those idiots."

Akane pointed across the room, "It's not my fault those bimbos were there!"

For the first time in many years, Nabiki began losing control of her own anger, "That's right, Akane. It's never your fault. It's always Ranma's fault."

"He's always flirting with them!"

"Is it Ranma's fault that his father has seemingly engaged him to dozens of women across the country?"

"I don't think-"

Nabiki was in Akane's face, "Exactly princess! You don't think! You never think! All you ever do is get mad and beat him up. You never try to listen to his side! Every chance you get, you jump to the worst possible conclusion and then punish him for it with brute force! You never-."

Smack!

Akanke's slap snapped Nabiki's head to one side. Nabiki turned her head back and glared at her sister for a few seconds. "Nice. Violence is your answer to everything, isn't it Akane?"

Akane turned around and was about to storm out the door when Nabiki leaned into the door to prevent it from opening, "Do you remember when he first got here, Akane? After your sparing match, Kasumi sent him into the bath to get cleaned up. You still thought he was a girl and walked in the bath, only to find out he was naked and male. You two could have kept it to yourselves as something to laugh about as you became friends. Heck, most people would call that sort of thing romantic."

She lowered her voice as she reached for the door knob, "Instead, dear sister, you poisoned any real friendship you two might have had by calling him a sick pervert and a peeping tom."

Akane's anger had now become a blinding rage. She spun around and after grabbing her sister by her arms, violently threw her against the wall. As a very stunned Nabiki slumped to the floor, Akane approached her with a large mallet in her hands, "You little slut! I'm going to teach you a lesson you're never going to forget! When I'm done with you, dear sister, you're going to wish you'd never agreed to that engagement."

With the wind knocked out of her, Nabiki looked up in fear as Akane closed in, "_Oh crap…"_


	8. Girl Fight

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Girl Fight

_From the last chapter: With the wind knocked out of her, Nabiki looked up in fear as Akane closed in, "Oh crap…"_

As Akane brought the mallet over her head, she was roughly pulled to the side by a pair of large arms. Akane twisted her head to identify the person who dared to interfere with her righteous revenge. Seeing it was her own father did nothing to calm her rage as she slammed her elbow into the older man's ribs. Soun grunted in pain as he dropped his daughter while clutching his side.

"Akane! What do you think you're doing? That's your sister over there, not some burglar!"

Akane's anger was flaring in all its frightening glory as she spat, "Don't give me that, Daddy! She's had this coming for a long time and now its payback time!"

Soun closed his eyes for a moment, "_Forgive me my dear Kimiko_"

In a move that would have surprised many who knew the man, Soun leaped across the room and aimed a sharp kick to his rampaging daughter's hip. In her blind rage, she never imagined, nor saw her father's attack and was caught off guard as the older man's foot struck her squarely and sent her flying into the wall. The force of Akane hitting the wall was enough to shake the dust off the ceiling and as it swirled in the room, Soun moved to help Nabiki up.

At that moment a very wet and female Ranma burst into the room, "Hey! What the heck's going…oh crap!"

Akane was now back on her feet and approaching Soun and Nabiki with her hammer ready to strike. But before she could attack her intended victim, her wrist was snapped back behind her sharp enough to spin her around. Akane's eyes flamed with rage as she glared at the smirking redhead.

Ranma spun the now broken head of the hammer on the tip of her finger, "Yo, Akane. Ya aren't trying to beat up your own sister, are ya?"

She threw the stump of her hammer on the floor, "You! You have no right to interfere, pervert!"

The redhead could feel the heat of Akane's anger as she remained in her loose, but ready stance, "What do ya mean, interfere? That's your own sister you were about to hit!"

"It's none of your business!"

Akane charged and leaped into a flying kick. For Ranma, the move was easy to read and she easily dodged it while grabbing the rampaging girl and spinning her towards the bed where she bounced and hit the window, shattering the glass and sending the shards out and onto the yard below. Ranma moved to put herself between Nabiki and her attacker, "Listen, ya crazy tomboy, I'm not going to let ya hurt Nabiki!"

Akane laughed, "What's the matter, Ranma? Are you afraid I'm going to hurt your slutty little fiancé? Fine, I'll punish her after I've taken care of you!"

Akane yelled and charged towards Ranma with her fist up. The redhead dodged the fist easily but was struck squarely in the ribs by the girl's foot. Ranma gasped at the sudden sharp pain and prayed she didn't have a broken rib to worry about. Akane smirked as she jumped to the far side of the room, "Well, well. Not as fast as you thought. I don't know why you're fighting me, Ranma. You of all people know how it felt to be used by her."

Ranma cringed for a moment, "_Damn, I'm still a little slow from that injury. This is going to open the wound if it keeps up_."

Akane attacked again, this time using a roundhouse kick that Ranma easily dodged, "Selling photos of you to Kuno, setting up fights at school, and selling you to the other fiancés…Surly you haven't forgotten how she manipulated you for her own greed."

She smirked at Akane, "At least she's never tried to poison me with toxic waste!"

Akane began to glow a dangerous red as she yelled, "You're going to pay for that, pervert!"

The redhead glared, "I didn't want it to come to this, Akane, but you leave me no choice."

Ranma's stance changed and she immediately went on the offensive. In an instant she was in Akane's face and hitting her with hundreds of rapid fire punches sometimes known as the 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire' attack. For her part, the youngest Tendo was able to block most of the punches, but even with Ranma being injured and still a bit weak, many still got through. Her arm, wrist, shoulder and ribs were quickly becoming sore from the pounding. Fatigue was rapidly taking its toll as nerve endings began to protest from the punishment she was receiving. A sudden high shot clipped her directly across the chin, snapping her head around hard enough for her to black out and crumple to the floor in a heap.

By now the rest of the family packed themselves in front of Nabiki's door. Ranma turned to his mother and Kasumi before going to check on Nabiki, "Would you check on Akane? She's just knocked out, but if she comes to, we may have our hands full."

Nodoka nodded towards her son, "Go ahead and see to your fiancé, dear. Soun, I'm going to need your help if we have to restrain her."

She then turned towards Kasumi and handed her a card, "Kasumi, I would like you to go downstairs and call this number. Ask for a Dr. Yokomoto. When he answers, tell him what happened here and that I asked you to call. Tell him it is also very important he contact the chiropractor physician I told him about. Your sister will be needing his skill as well here."

Kasumi raised an eyebrow as she took the card, "Who is it, Auntie?"

"He's my personal physician and the chiropractor has experience with martial arts injuries."

As Kasumi turned to make the call, Nodoka moved to assist Soun. The elder Tendo was a quite shaken as he stared at his youngest daughter. Nodoka sat across from Soun as she checked the girl over, "I know you're feeling pretty bad right now, Soun. This was something that had been festering for some time now, and something had to be done sooner or later."

The elder Tendo raised his tear stained face, "This was all my fault, Nodoka. I let her get out of hand. Thinking I was doing her a favor, I let my little girl have anything she wanted. What hurts so much now is I saw her turning into a bully and I did nothing about it. I thought with Ranma here, she would settle down. But I was wrong, so-so wrong about it all and I failed terribly. I failed her, I failed my other girls, and I failed my wife…."

Nodoka smiled warmly, "You can't be blamed for this Soun. Without your wife to help you, raising these three girls alone was very difficult. Yes this is a bad thing we have here, but you have us to help you now. You're not alone."

Soun's eyes brightened a bit, "Thank you, Nodoka. That means quite a bit to me."

He reached for his daughter, "We need to get her off the floor."

Nodoka nodded and as the two adults took Akane out of the room, Ranma had moved over and was sitting on the floor with Nabiki. The middle Tendo was trying to keep herself calm but her composure was slipping as she tried to describe what happened, "…the next thing I knew, she had thrown me across the room and was about to attack me with that damned hammer. I-I was never so terrified in my life, Ranma. For a moment, I thought she was actually going to do it. Fortunately, you and daddy showed up just in time to stop it all."

Ranma smiled and blushed a bit, "Well, I wasn't about to let her attack you. When Akane gets really angry, she's nearly as strong as Ryouga."

Nabiki reached over and gave Ranma a hug, "I'm just glad you and Daddy came in when you did. If you hadn't come-."

She stopped suddenly in her talking as she noticed how soft Ranma was, "Hey! You're a girl!"

Ranma giggled, "You just noticed?"

Nabiki smirked, "You know what I mean, Saotome. Why are you a girl now?"

Ranma rolled her eyes a bit, "I was thirsty and got up to get a drink of water. Just as I started to drink it, something hit the house and I got splashed once again."

"That would have to have been Akane. Daddy kicked her and she hit the wall."

"Whoa! Your Dad actually hit Akane?"

Nabiki shook her head, "I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself."

Ranma gave a soft low whistle, "It must have been some kick. I know the tomboy's tough but that was a really loud bang."

"Yes, she cracked the wall over there and-."

Ranma turned her head, "What's the matter?"

"Damn, my whole room's a wreck! Here, help me up, Ranma."

Ranma placed her arm around Nabiki and gently helped her on her feet. Once she was up, Ranma didn't seem to mind much that Nabiki was leaning against her. Ranma pointed to the damage and smiled, "It's not that bad. Ya got a crack in your wall, your desk got knocked over, and your books are everywhere. If you don't count the broken window, we can have this cleaned up in no time."

Nabiki looked over at her fiancé and purred, "Are you offering to help me, Ranma?"

Ranma flashed a bright smile, "Yeah, sure. You said it yourself. What are friends for?"

Ranma turned to stand the small bookshelf up and as she tilted it up and back against the wall, a sudden blast of pain shot through her shoulder. She closed her eyes tightly and hissed through her teeth as she nearly staggered to her knees. Nabiki was at her side in an instant, Ranma! What's wrong?"

Ranma had her hand over the area on her shoulder where she had been shot, "The doc said I shouldn't get into any fights for a while. Guess I screwed up a bit. Hurt like hell for a moment."

Nabiki grabbed Ranma's hand and pulled it away, "Jeesh Ranma! You're bleeding!"

"Yeah. Must have pulled a stitch out. It's nothing."

Nabiki scolded in a caring voice, "Don't you go getting all macho on me, Ranma. Wait here while I get Kasumi."

Ranma slumped her shoulders a bit, "Alright, go ahead and get her."

It wasn't long before Kasumi was up in Nabiki's room with her trusty first aid kit. She found Ranma picking up a book from the floor and stacking it on the shelf. She shook her head as she smiled, "Nabiki told me you were hurt, Ranma. I didn't expect to find you cleaning up her room."

Ranma blushed a bit, "Yeah, well I just thought I'd pick up a book or two for her. That's all"

Kasumi smiled warmly as she placed the first aid on the bed and opened it, "Come over and sit down while I look at your injury, Ranma."

Kasumi's tone, although as sweet as ever, left no doubt in Ranma's mind the oldest Tendo sister was not making a request. After she sat down, Kasumi picked up some alcohol and a small bag of cotton balls, "Ranma, you will need to take off your tank top so I can clean the blood off of you."

Not thinking, she took off her top and waited for Kasumi clean the wound. Ranma clenched her teeth slightly as the elder Tendo went about her work, carefully wiping the area until it was free of blood and dirt. Kasumi then gently touched the stitched area of the wound with her fingers to see if there was any more seepage while Ranma began to become uncomfortable at the closeness of the attractive young woman.

Kasumi placed the used cotton balls in a small plastic bag and began to open a fresh bandage, "Ranma, the wound isn't bleeding at the moment, but you will most likely need to go back to the doctors and have them take a look at it. It's never good when a stitched wound begins to bleed."

Ranma looked a bit sad as she put her tank top back on, "Thanks Kasumi. It probably wouldn't have started bleeding if I hadn't had to actually fight Akane."

"How do you feel about that, Ranma? Was it because she is a girl that you didn't want to hit her?"

"Well, there's that. But it was more than because she's a girl, Kasumi. Even though we're not engaged, I still care about the tomboy."

Kasumi placed her hand gently on Ranma's shoulder, "If you had the chance, right now. Would you give up Nabiki for her?"

Ranma stared at Kasumi for a moment, "No Kasumi. Things changed since we got back from China. It's not the same anymore."

Ranma continued, "Before we made that trip to China, we were beginning to talk to each other. I was beginning to think that between us, something…something nice was about to happen. But after we got back, things just seemed to fall apart. Even without that wedding mess, we probably would have drifted away. Whatever closeness we seemed to have for each other, faded away after that. From then on, it's been downhill for the both of us."

Kasumi smiled gently, "I thought as much, Ranma. I fear it is now too late for Akane to be helped by you and she will be needing professional help to get her out of this. But for Nabiki though, it seems that you may have arrived just in time."

Ranma fumbled with her hands a bit and blushed slightly, "Yeah…I guess."

Kasumi gave Ranma a hug, "In just the short time you and my sister have become closer, she has become more and more of the old Nabiki I loved and missed so much. I'd say that's pretty good."

Ranma blushed beet red, "I-er ah-well we sorta…."

Kasumi chuckled, "My, Ranma. For someone who claims to be a guy, you can really be cute."

As Ranma squirmed under Kasumi's kidding, Nabiki was downstairs getting herself a glass of milk. She tried to tell herself she was in total control of the situation, but the unsteady shaking of her hands said otherwise.

She placed the glass on the counter and whispered to herself as she clasped her hands together, "Easy Nabiki, it's time to relax and calm down. _Calm down? Hah! She was going to kill me_!"

Nabiki was about to pick the glass again when there was a knock at the door, "I'll get it!"

When she opened the door, there was an elderly, well dressed man smiling warmly towards her. She bowed politely, "Good evening. Is there something I can do for you?"

The man bowed, "Good evening to you as well, Miss. Is this the Tendo's residence?"

Nabiki nodded, "Yes it is."

"Ah good. I wasn't sure. My name is Dr. Yokomoto. I was called by another woman, Kasumi; I believe to come here for an emergency."

Nabiki motioned for the doctor to enter the house, "Yes please come in. It's my younger sister."

"Ah, then would you please lead me to her?"

"Follow me, please"

The man hesitated for a moment, "I was asked to contact a colleague of mine to meet me here. From what I understand, this was a martial arts injury and as such is more his specialty than mine. Once you have shown me the way, would you be kind enough to bring him to me as soon as he arrives?"

"Certainly. This way, please"

Nabiki led the doctor upstairs to Akane's room before excusing herself to return downstairs to wait for the doctor's colleague. The doctor pulled out his stethoscope and made a few quick checks on Akane before turning to the man he thought to be the father, "Can you tell me what happened to your daughter? From what I can tell here, it appears that she was involved in some kind of confrontation and was knocked out."

Nodoka quickly answered for Soun, "I am only a friend of the family, but I can tell you that Akane here lost her temper completely and went berserk. She attacked her older sister and caused considerable damage to her room. Her father here, and her sister's fiancé were forced to restrain her to keep her from not only causing harm to her older sister, but herself as well."

The doctor raised an eyebrow at Nodoka while noticing the Katana she carried with her, "Was so much force necessary? Surly she could have been restrained in a more gentle and civilized manner"

From the doorway a familiar sounding voice was heard, "Akane Tendo is a strong and dangerous martial artist. In the confines of a small room she has the ability to be quite formidable."

Nodoka turned towards the newcomer and bowed, "Ah, you must be the doctor's colleague. We spoke briefly on the phone earlier. My name is Nodoka Saotome."

The young man returned the bow, "It is a pleasure to finally meet the mother of Ranma Saotome. My name is Ono Tofu."

_Author's notes: I was informed of an inconsistency in the reasoning for bringing tofu into the story. In the original version, Yokomoto brought tofu along as a colleague. After reading several very informative reviews of this, I had to agree with the reasoning. Changes have been made to strengthen the concept that doctor Yokomoto is Nodoka's physician. It also clarifies a bit more that it was Nodoka herself that requested Tofu be present. I apologize for the confusion._


	9. Tofu's Return

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Tofu's Return

Dr. Yokomoto turned towards his colleague, "I don't know why this young lady requested your presence, Tofu. Your special skills don't seem to be the sort of thing a normal patient would require the services of."

Dr. Tofu bowed to his colleague, "I imagine there are a couple of reasons why she did, my friend. I once operated a small neighborhood clinic close to here and the members of this family were my patients. I have personally treated this young girl on several occasions for her various injuries, including a broken bone or two."

"I see. So you were the family doctor?"

Tofu nodded, "In addition to my chiropractic and acupuncture practice, I assisted the Tendo and Saotome families in their martial arts related injuries. Ranma Saotome in particular came to me on several occasions for treatment."

The older doctor smiled, "Well, since you know this youngster a bit, take a look here and tell me what you think."

Tofu turned towards the two parents, "Would you two mind waiting outside for just a few minutes? I would like to examine her and I need absolute calm. Don't worry, Mr. Tendo. She's going to be fine."

Nodoka nodded politely and led Soan out of the room. When they had closed the door behind them, Dr. Yokomoto pointed towards the numerous marks on Akane's arms, "Look here, Tofu. She's covered in these bruises. Someone beat her pretty bad."

Tofu shook his head, "No she wasn't. Look here at these marks. They are quite small for fist strikes and do not look like they caused any real harm. I imagine they stung her quite a bit, but they were not meant to do a lot of damage."

He pointed to Akane's chin, "This however, was meant to knock her out. If she did go berserk, then knocking her out may have been the only safe way to control her."

The other man shook his head, "I find that hard to believe, Tofu. She looks like just another young girl to me."

Tofu was gently touching Akane's arm and shoulder, "What the heck is this?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's her ki. It's not right."

The other man was puzzled, "I don't understand…"

Tofu touched a few more places on Akane's neck, "It's her life force, it seems to have been changed. Here, help me roll her over. I need to see her back."

The older man helped roll Akane over and Tofu immediately began to touch and press parts of her back. As he worked along, his heightened senses began to see the flows of Akane's life force through her body. Normally, he would see three concentrations of bluish energy, one in the lower abdomen, one at the heart, and one at the head. In healthy person, these three spots would be trading energy between each other as well as flowing energy to the other parts of the body such as the hands and feet. But what Tofu viewed now was far from normal. Akane now had three additional fiery red concentrations of energy present in her body. One on each shoulder, and one in her upper abdomen. A swirling circle of red lines connected the three while isolating the one at the heart. Red rivers of sickly looking ki flowed to the other parts of the body from the circle.

Tofu gasped, "Dear god!"

Outside the room, Nodoka had been comforting Soun, "Why don't you go downstairs and rest a bit while the doctors take a look at your daughter. We'll call you up as soon as they're done."

Soun was clearly upset, "I don't know if I can, Nodoka. I'm so worried about my little girl, I don't think I could ever sleep."

"I understand how you feel, but you will do her and yourself a lot more good if you relax and get some rest."

The man sighed, "I guess you're right. It's been a rough night and I'm a bit worn out. Alright, I'll lay down for a little bit, but only if you promise to come get me as soon as they have something."

Nodoka nodded, "Certainly, Soun. We'll let you know right away."

Before he left, he reached out and clasped her hand in both of his own, "Thank you my friend. I don't know what I would have done without your help."

She blushed slightly and smiled, "We're going to be family, Soun. It's the least I can do."

After Soun had gone down the stairs, Nodoka moved over to Nabiki's door, "_Now it begins to get a bit tricky_."

Ranma and Kasumi had been chatting for the past several minutes and looked up as Nodoka entered the room, "Hi Mom. I heard the Doc talking with ya. How's Akane doin?"

Nodoka smiled, "Yes, they're looking at her now and I'm sure things will be fine. Ranma, I need to have a little chat with Kasumi for a bit. I hope you don't mind if we chase you out for a while."

Ranma flashed a bright smile, "Nah, that's okay. I wanted to see how Nabiki was holding up anyway."

After Ranma had left, Nodoka turned towards Kasumi, "I have a little surprise for you, my dear."

Kasumi raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Auntie?"

The older woman sat down on the bed beside Kasumi, "A while ago, when you and I talked about the engagement, you told me that you had another person in your life. A person you said you had not seen in a very long time."

Kasumi nodded, "Yes, he had been our family doctor for a quite some time. I had grown very fond of him and even though he acted very strange around me, I began to develop deep feelings for the man. Because he was always so kind to everyone he worked with, I felt more and more attracted to him. Later, I would make up excuses to borrow his medical books, hoping to get some kind of conversation going."

Nodoka placed her hand on top of the other woman's, "What would you say if you had one last chance to talk with him. To tell him exactly how you feel and to ask him how he feels? Would you take command of that opportunity, or would you waste it and let that same opportunity slip through your fingers forever?"

Kasumi looked at the other woman closely as her normally calm and friendly eyes focused sharply, "Auntie, all of my life, I have been somewhat of a pacifist, calmly smiling and taking care of the family while the world passed me by. I love my family dearly, you can be sure of that. But if I had a chance to talk to Tofu again, I would not let him leave until he had no doubt in his mind of my feelings for him."

Nodoka smirked slightly, "So you're telling me that if Tofu were here right now, you would confess your love to him?"

The older Tendo raised an eyebrow as she stared at the woman, "Certainly, Auntie. I wouldn't let…"

"Hmmm?"

Kasumi's eyes widened, "Oh my! He's here, isn't he?"

Kasumi started to stand up, but Nodoka reached out and grabbed her wrist in a firm but gentle grip, "Wait!"

"But I have to see him!"

Nodoka stood up, "He's helping with your sister now. You don't want to interfere in her care, do you?"

Kasumi shook her head, "N-no Auntie. I just want to see him."

She gently clasped both of Kasumi's hands, "I promise that I will see to it he visits you tonight. In the mean time, why don't you go into your room and prepare yourself for his visit. Make yourself presentable.

A very un-Kasumi like predatory smile formed on her lips, "Alright, Auntie. I'll be waiting."

As the young woman walked out of the room, Nodoka sat back down on the bed and smiled, "_This might work out after all_."

Downstairs Nabiki was handing Ranma the teapot of water she has just heated up, "Here ya go, Ranma. You know, I should charge you for this."

Ranma smiled as her took the teapot and poured a bit over her head, "Yeah I know, it's probably the only time I'd be glad to pay ya."

After Ranma had changed back to his old self, Nabiki smiled approvingly as she sat down next to him on the steps leading outside and leaned against his arm, "That may very well be true, Saotome. While I do like the idea of a cute little redheaded for a friend, this part of you is defiantly more attractive to me."

Ranma was suddenly very aware of the girl's closeness and began to sweat a bit, "Err, ah…Nabiki?"

Nabiki giggled, "For a big, bad martial artist, you're sure easy to tease."

She then reached up and kissed him on the cheek before resting against his arm again, "Don't worry, Ranma. We're going to take this nice and easy because I don't want to rush it either."

Ranma was startled by the kiss and for a moment froze up, but as Nabiki once again snuggled up to his arm he smiled to himself as something inside him began to feel warm and cozy. Not really realizing it, he brought his arm up behind Nabiki and held her far shoulder, pulling her close to his side. Nabiki almost purred as she snuggled up against Ranma.

Ranma rubbed his cheek against her hair for a moment before gazing at the stars outside again, "_I could really get used to this_."

And so they sat for nearly a half hour, enjoying the soft night sounds as they filtered through the back yard and becoming comfortable in the closeness of each other. It was then understandable when a sudden clearing of a throat caused the two teens to practically leap off of the steps in a panic.

The three culprits were all smirking in their attempts to keep from laughing at the two. Tofu could barely keep a straighter face, "Well, hello Ranma. It's been a while."

Ranma was red as a beet, "Dang doc! Ya scared the wits outa me!"

The boy then smiled a bit, "Yeah, good to see ya too."

Soun had by now wiped the smile off his face, "As happy as I am to see you two getting along, we need to have a talk about Akane."

"How's the tomboy doing? She's not doin bad is she? I didn't want to hurt her and I only hit her to protect Nabiki."

Nodoka clasped Ranma by the arm, "We all understand that, Son. In a way, the fight you had with Akane revealed an important discovery."

"Huh?"

Tofu pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, "Nodoka and Soun told me that her more violent behavior began on or before your trip to China. Am I correct?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, that's about right."

Tofu continued, "That makes sense then. When I checked Akane, I discovered her ki patterns had been recently altered in such a way that she was feeding on her own anger. In addition to her normal centers, she now has three new ones I have never seen before. These new centers have formed a circle around her heart.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "As scary as that sounds, Dr. Tofu, what does it mean?"

Tofu glanced over his shoulder towards the bedrooms for a moment before turning back to the others, "What it means is that her emotions of anger, hatred, and mistrust are growing out of control and will continue to increase in strength. I've done what I can to other pressure points to give her a bit of relief from those emotions and to limit her strength, but it's only temporary. Without the knowledge of what was done and how to remove it, Akane is in danger."

This was too much for Soun and he switched on the patented Tendo wailing water works, "WAAAAA! My little baby is going to die a monster!"

Tofu reached over and touched Soun on the back and immediately the elder man fell to the ground and began to snore. He grinned sheepishly, "Sleep points…."

Ranma chuckled for a bit before looking up, "That's all and good, Doc, but what are we going to do about Akane?"

"Yeah, we can't let my sister keep going berserk until it finally kills her. We need to find answers to this before it's too late."

Ranma snapped his fingers, "Hey! What about the old ghoul? She knows as much about this stuff as the Doc."

Tofu smiled, "That's right, Ranma. In fact Cologne has considerably more knowledge of this than I do. It certainly wouldn't hurt to go ask her."

Nodoka nodded, "As much as I am concerned about dealing with elder Cologne, especially after last night, it appears to be our only choice. It's too late right now, but tomorrow would be the best time to approach her."

Tofu turned towards Ranma, "I'd like you to come with me, Ranma. You know her better than I do, and she seems to trust you more."

"No problem, Doc. Ya just gotta be on your toes when it comes to the old ghoul."

Nodoka nodded, "Alright, tomorrow it is. You two go ahead and get some sleep while I chat with Dr. Tofu for a bit."

When the two teens had gone Nodoka smiled at Tofu, "There is one more injury you will need to attend to before you go, Tofu. Follow me please."

As they walked up the stairs Tofu questioned, "When we found that Akane's problem was ki related, Dr. Yokomoto excused himself and went home. Was someone else injured with the fight with Akane?"

When they reached the top of the stairs, Nodoka stopped in front of one of the bedroom doors and turned, "No Tofu. This person was hurt by someone else. Someone who broke her heart without knowing it. The same someone she is willing to give a second chance to."

Tofu turned and read the name on the little wooden duck mounted on the door, "No…"

Nodoka's voice was low and firm, "It was you that hurt her, Doctor. While she waited for you to tell her how you felt, you pranced around like a fool. You squandered every opportunity to tell her your true feelings and selfishly kept them to yourself."

Tofu gazed at his feet, ashamed, "I-I was too embarrassed and shy to let her know. When she was around it made me so giddy, I lost control of myself."

"You don't deserve it, but you are a lucky man, Tofu. Kasumi is willing to give you one last chance to prove yourself. Prove that you are not the dancing fool you pretend to be and tell her how you feel about her. She is inside waiting your answer."

She let that sink in for a moment before continuing, "The only question you have to answer is, are you going to be a man and face her, or are you going to remain the fool and break her heart once again?"

Tofu glared at the woman before turning to the door once again. He gently touched the little wooden duck, then knocked on the door.

From inside was heard, "Come in."

Tofu swallowed once before opening the door and entering the room.

_Author's notes: Once again changes have been made to the story in order to justify the presence of Tofu. As the story progresses, the reason for his presence will be known. And of course there is Kasumi._


	10. Kasumi and Tofu

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Kasumi and Tofu

Tofu quietly closed the door and turned around. The bedroom was dimly lit by a pair of candles on the dresser and a nightlight near the floor by the bed, but it was not so dark that he couldn't see the young woman sitting on the bed. He stood there for a moment looking at the woman, not quite able to make her out other than she was wearing white kimono.

She lifted her head slowly, "Hello Ono."

On hearing her voice for the first time in so long, Tofu's nerves started jumping into overdrive, "Ka-Kasumi…"

She got up from the bed and gracefully walked over to him. Looking up at the man in front of her, she began, "I have missed you, Ono. Please tell me…why did you leave?"

He could see her face clearly now, framed between flowing locks of silky dark hair that softly extended down below her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes sparkled in the dim candlelight making her appear more beautiful than he had ever imagined. Tofu swallowed once again, knowing in his heart he wanted nothing more than to make this wonderful woman happy. And yet, his mind was in such a state of panic, he had little idea of how to go about it.

"I-I had to leave K-Kasumi. I c-could not c-control myself."

Kasumi gave a shy smile, "Are you talking about your silly antics? Of how you danced about every time I attempted to have a meaningful conversation with you?"

"Y-Yes, I couldn't control it."

Her eyes focused sharply, "So what are you going to do about it, Ono"

That caught him off guard, "Huh?"

She moved closer to him, her kimono just touching his clothing, "I said…What are you going to do about it? Are you going to continue to ignore me as if I wasn't there?"

"Ignore you? But I-."

She interrupted as her eyes began to tear up, "Yes Ono. Ignore me. Do you have any idea how much it hurt me to see you go off and play with your little skeleton whenever I came to visit? I heard from your own patients how much you cared for me and yet you treated me like I wasn't there. I wanted very much to get to know you and yet you just took off without so much as a word. Not to me, or anyone else."

Tears were rolling down her face as she looked down, "Do you hate me so much? Am I so ugly you can't talk with me like a normal person?"

Tofu was shaken to the core by this. Finding out he had been the cause of the pain that plagued his love shook him to the core and forced his mind to clear, "I never wanted to hurt you, Kasumi. Please don't cry."

She looked up into his eyes and searched them, "Ono?"

He closed his eyes for a moment while taking a deep breath. When he was finished, he reached down and gently clasped one of her hands in his, "I watched you grow up Kasumi. When you reached your 18th birthday, you had blossomed into the sweetest and most beautiful woman I had ever known. I wanted so much to tell you how I felt, but I am so much older than you."

Kasumi gently pulled her hand from his grasp and reached up with both of hers and grasped the lapels of his shirt, pulling him to within inches of her face, "How do you feel about me, Tofu?"

He stuttered, "I-I wa-."

Her voice was low as her deep brown eyes shimmered warmly, "Do you hate me? Do you like me? Or is it possible that you…love me?"

Tofu looked into those deep brown eyes and felt himself shiver. With a considerable bit of hesitation, he reached up with both if his hands and gently clasped her upper arms, "I could never hate you Kasumi. You were then and still are the light that brightens my life. I have always loved you, Kasumi, more than anything in the world."

Kasumi's hands were shaking as she tried to keep herself steady. She had planned to be in control of her meeting with Tofu, but hearing those words from him caused her knees to feel weak and her insides go all warm. Although she had a few more things she wanted to say, her mind was racing and for a moment, she lost the ability to say anything at all. Not wanting to fumble with her words, she pulled on the lapels and kissed him.

Tofu nearly passed out from the sudden sensation of her lips touching his. At first his entire body stiffened, but as the seconds passed, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her. She broke the kiss after a short while and reached up and removed his glasses. Placing them on the dresser to the side of where they were standing, she moved her hands up and clasped them behind his head.

With a low, somewhat husky voice, she pulled him a bit closer, "I have always loved you, dear Ono. You kept me waiting for so long, I was afraid we would never have this chance. Now that I know how you feel, I am never letting you go."

Tofu never had a chance to comment as he was pulled into a second kiss. Powered by both their past frustrations and rising passions, it lasted considerably longer than the first.

Outside the door a middle aged woman smiled to herself as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Hearing nothing more than soft whispers from the door Nodoka turned and headed for bed.

* * *

Early the next morning, across town in a small restaurant called the Cat Café, a short and very ancient woman was pacing the floor. Although she hadn't slept at all during the night, her eyes blazed in relentless anger.

"_What are we going to do? That careless little fool has ruined everything! And to think…If I hadn't picked that moment to visit the Tendo home, I would never have known the truth! By the gods I still have a hard time believing what she told me!"_

-Flashback-

After Cologne and her great granddaughter had entered the café, Shampoo called out, "Good night great grandmother."

The old woman's response was quick as she rapped the young girl on the head with her staff, "Not so fast, Shampoo. We still need to talk."

Shampoo lowered her eyes, "Yes Elder."

The old woman frowned, "Elder is it? Come over here and sit down, young lady."

The tone of her voice left no doubt it was not a request and shampoo sat down with her eyes still lowered. The old woman reached over and lifted the girl's chin, "Look at me when I'm talking to you, girl. Act like the Amazon you pretend to be."

Shampoo glared at the woman for a moment, "I am Amazon warrior!"

"That's better. A warrior is not afraid to accept her punishment. I expect no less from you."

"Punishment?"

"We will see about that later. First let me tell you that I heard everything. From the moment you and your fellow ex-fiancés were brought into the dojo, I was outside observing. I suspect Ranma sensed me but chose to be quiet for the moment."

Shampoo's eyes widened as Cologne continued, "Imagine my surprise when Nodoka ended your claim on Ranma by stating the boy had not challenged you."

The girl swallowed, "I-."

The old woman raised her hand, "I'm not through here. You wrote to me in the village and told me you had a husband and that he had beaten you in a marriage challenge. After reading your letter, I was so happy, I went to the elder council and proudly informed everyone that my great granddaughter would soon be returning with her husband. We had a small party in your honor and waited for your return in the coming days. But you never came back, did you Shampoo?"

The young Amazon moved her head from side to side as her eyes filled with tears.

"We began to worry about you and I took it upon myself to come to this land and find out what happened to you and your groom. I expected to find you living with your husband and carrying his child, but that was not to be. Instead I find you here, with no husband and being kept at bay by another fiancé."

"I never did understand why it was that you didn't just attack and kill the Tendo girl. After all, she had your husband living in her home. It wasn't until last night I finally understood. There was no challenge, was there? You made it all up."

Tears were flowing freely down the young girl's face, "I didn't mean to lie, Elder. I found him when I was searching for his girl half. He was so handsome and powerful I knew right then I wanted him for my husband. But he already had a fiancé. When I attacked her, he blocked me and I was struck in the head by my own weapon."

Cologne's eyes widened in shock, "Are you telling me you attacked a man's fiancé and then claimed him as your own when you stumbled and knocked yourself out?"

Shampoo was crying freely, "Yes."

Cologne shook in anger, "Do you have any idea what you've done, child? We've always known it was going to be hard to get past the Tendo agreement. We've always known but we continued to pursue Ranma because of your challenge. But now…by the gods you have messed things up completely. You have been pursuing this boy for months, even though you have no grounds to do so. We Amazons have our own code of conduct. By falsely claiming you had a challenge of marriage when you gave him the kiss, you put yourself in serious violation of our laws. You are in very deep trouble Shampoo and there isn't much I can do to help."

-End Flashback-

Cologne eyed the phone for a moment before preparing herself some tea, "_I'm going to have to contact Mrs. Saotome later this morning. Perhaps I can do something before we have a blood feud on our hands_."

* * *

Back at the Tendo home, Nabiki was just waking up. Never a morning person, she rubbed her eyes and grabbed her robe to go downstairs for some of Kasumi's coffee. Once in the kitchen, she picked up her mug and poured it full while mumbling something unintelligent to Kasumi and Tofu. After her first good sip, she dimly remembered a vision she had of her sister standing in the kitchen. She shook her head and took another sip. Suddenly her eyes popped open and quickly headed back to the kitchen.

Kasumi smiled as she wrapped her arms around Tofu and kissed him on the nose, "She'll wake up once she has her coffee."

No sooner did she finish when Nabiki appeared at the doorway. Nabiki stared, wide eyed for quite a while before regaining her composure, "Well, this is certainly a surprise. My older sister lip locked with the family doctor in the kitchen."

Kasumi blushed and smiled, "Well good morning to you, little sister."

Nabiki looked from here sister to Tofu, "So how long has this been going on? You two planning on getting married?"

Tofu clasped Kasumi's hand and kissed it gently, "Not right now…but soon, I assure you."

Nabiki said nothing for a few moments and Kasumi giggled, "Oh my. I think we surprised her a bit."

She shook her head, "It's too early for this. I'm going to go sit down with my coffee and read the financials."

She looked over her shoulder as she left and smirked, "I'd tell you two to behave, but I can see it's too late for that."

Later that morning everyone, except for Akane was sitting at the table eating breakfast. While most of the people at the table were quite concerned for the youngest Tendo, Genma was busy shoveling food in his mouth as fast as he could. Nodoka adjusted her katana so that it rested against his leg and once again, the portly martial artist slowed his eating speed to a somewhat normal level. Out of habit, he reached over to grab some food off of his son's plate, only to have his hand suddenly paralyzed by a quick jab with a pair of chopsticks.

Tofu wagged his chopsticks at Genma, "That isn't very nice, Mr. Saotome. Did you know that training your son to steal food off of other people's plates might be considered a crime?"

Genma turned and noticed for the first time Tofu was sitting next to him and his son was now sitting next to Nabiki. Not only that, Akane was nowhere to be found. He added two and two together and came up with the worst possible conclusion, "Boy, go upstairs and talk with your fiancé! She's going to miss breakfast!"

Nabiki groaned, "He must have slept through the whole thing."

The elder Saotome noticed for the first time Nabiki was leaning against Ranma and he seemed to not mind, "Slept through what? I didn't hear a thing last night."

Nodoka's voice was like ice, "Husband. Do you mean to tell me you slept through the entire night?"

Genma was a bit confused at his wife's tone, "Well yes. It was bed time, and I was tired."

The woman stood up with her sheathed katana in hand, "We need to talk, Husband. Come with me to the dojo."

Genma started to open his mouth but one look at the stern expression on the face of his wife changed his mind and he got up and headed out the door.

After they had left, Ranma smirked, "I just love having mom around, don't you?"

Nabiki chuckled, "I'd love to be a fly on the wall in there!"

Kasumi was about to say something about spying on people when there was a knock at the door. She stood up, "I'll get it."

As Kasumi left, Tofu placed his chopsticks down, "We need to give Cologne a call soon. When the noon rush hits the café, she may be too busy to talk with us."

Ranma smirked, "Yeah, I've waited some tables for her there before, lunch time is the worst. When do you want to leave? We don't have any school today so anytime's good."

From behind them a tired voice spoke, "That won't be necessary."

Ranma jumped up, "It's the old ghoul!"

Cologne smirked, "Don't worry son- Ranma. I assure you there is nothing to fear from me."

Tofu had gotten up and was bowing towards the ancient woman, "Elder, it is good to see you again."

Cologne chuckled a bit as she noticed Kasumi walk over and stand next to Tofu, "It's good to see you as well, young man. I see you've made some changes for the better in your life. It's about time too."

Kasumi and Tofu both blushed a brilliant red and the old woman cackled, "Ah to be young once again."

For the first time that morning, Soun took a serious look at the doctor and his oldest daughter and the apparent closeness they seemed to be sharing. He had known, as had most of Nerima of the good doctor's attraction to Kasumi, but thought it dead after the doctor had left. Seeing the two of them standing together reminded him of the pressure he had put on Akane to wed with Ranma and how badly that incident had turned out. He felt personally responsible for her present condition and after having cried most of the night, woke with a determination to help his daughter recover.

He bowed towards Cologne, "You are welcome to visit, Elder. We had plans to contact you later today."

"Oh?"

Tofu knew of Soun's pain and continued for him, "Something has happened to Akane, Elder. She has very strange ki patterns on her body that I've never seen before. Last night she went into a rage and attacked Nabiki, Soun, and Ranma. I administered some pressure points on her to keep her calm and to limit her growing strength, but it will not last. I fear that she, and those around her are in great danger."

"I'll need to see those ki paths for myself before I can make any comment. But before I do, I need to talk with Nodoka and Ranma about a matter of grave honor."


	11. Of Kisses and Amazons

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Of Kisses and Amazons

After Cologne announced she wished to speak with the Saotome family, Ranma became somewhat defensive, "What do ya mean ya want to speak with Mom?"

Cologne sighed, "Don't worry yourself, Ranma. I just need to speak to you and your parents about Shampoo.

From the doorway a woman's voice called out, "I'm afraid my husband won't be able to attend, Elder. He's … sleeping."

The old woman eyed the katana and smirked, "Indeed. Well then, is there a place where we can talk?"

Nodoka glanced at the Tendo family, "Elder, as far as I'm concerned, these people are my family. What ever you may have to say to the Saotome family, will be said to the Tendo family as well."

Kasumi placed her hand in front of her mouth, "Auntie…"

Cologne nodded, "As you wish."

She sighed and continued, "When my great granddaughter first fought Ranma here at this house, I was under the impression it was a challenge. I found out last night it was not. Apparently shampoo was beaten by Ranma while he was protecting the young Akane from her attack. Somehow she got knocked on the head by her own weapon. Once she came to, she gave Ranma the kiss of marriage."

She looked at Ranma for a moment, "Does that sound about right?"

Ranma nodded.

The old woman took a breath, "It is as I feared then. If the fight was not a challenge for her hand in marriage, then the kiss of marriage was invalid."

Soun raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me, Elder. But when Shampoo first visited us, she let us borrow a small booklet with some of the Amazon Laws in it. It stated that if an Amazon warrior lost a fight to a woman, she had to give the woman the kiss of death and kill that woman. It also stated that if the warrior lost to a man, she had to marry that man."

"Was it printed in Chinese on one side and Japanese on the other?"

"Yes it was."

Cologne chuckled, "One of these days we are going to have to get those properly translated into Japanese. Something in the translation isn't quite right."

The whole room yelled out at the same time, "What?"

The Amazon shook her head, "Think about it for a moment. If we went out and killed everyone that beat one of our warriors, eventually we would kill a woman from a powerful family or country. We would be in a constant state of war against every family whose daughter or mother we killed. Then there is this…. We must be able to gauge our warrior's skills against that of the outside world. Without fighting matches, we could easily fall behind new teachings and skills. If we killed every woman that beat one of our warriors, do you think anyone would allow us to fight against them knowing that if they won, we would be forced to kill them?"

Ranma raised an eyebrow, "So, you're telling us the kisses of death don't exist?"

"I didn't say that. The kiss is only used when great honor has been lost by the hand of another. In shampoo's case, she felt dishonored by your defeat over her. Her kiss was valid, even if she did make herself look like a poor loser."

Nodoka glanced over at Ranma for a second, "That makes a bit more sense. I can understand righting a wrong that was committed against me, or my family. But what about the kiss of marriage?"

Cologne sighed, "That too, is a bit different. It's true that when the kiss of marriage is given to a man, she is married to that person. But there are conditions. First of all, it must be an official challenge. If a warrior had to marry every male that defeated her in a fight or battle, she would eventually have a big problem on her hands. Not only that, what if the person that defeated her was extremely evil or perverted?"

Ranma pointed towards the guest room, "The old freak!"

"Exactly. Happosai can probably beat the majority of the warriors in the village. Can you imagine the horror of being forced to marry him just because he won a fight? No, the kiss of marriage can only be given after an official challenge for a warrior's hand."

Ranma shuddered very slightly as he moved closer to Nabiki, "So you're saying that I'm not Shampoo's husband?"

Cologne cackled, "Not unless you want to be, sonny boy. As I recall, your mother here said that you were free to court my great granddaughter if you wish."

Ranma glanced over at Nabiki for a moment, "Uh, I don't think that would be a very good idea."

Cologne cackled at the boy's discomfort, "Ah to be young again. Alright doctor, what was it you wished to see me about?"

Tofu pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, "It's about Akane, Elder. Lately she has become very violent and last night she attacked Nabiki, Ranma, and her father. When I arrived here, she had already been quieted down. After checking her over, I looked at her ki paths and they were not what I expected. To tell the truth and I was quite confused at what I saw. I think it best if we go upstairs and you see for yourself."

"Interesting. Alright, lead the way, Doctor."

Tofu and Cologne walked up the stairs to Akane's room. When they reached the door, Tofu turned to the rest of the family that had followed them and shook his head, "I'm sorry, but you will have to wait outside."

By the time he had closed the door Cologne was already checking the girl's pathways. She motioned for the doctor to come closer, "I can see what you mean, Tofu. This girl has a very odd triangular marking on her back. Look here, you can see it even now as it flows around her heart and actually blocks the good energy of her…."

Tofu turned, "Yes Elder?"

Cologne's voice began to shake, "Here. Help me turn her over on her back. We need to look at her shoulders and stomach."

Tofu helped turn Akane over, "She's still out, I figured she would be starting to wake up by now."

Cologne pulled the young girl's blouse up and gasped, "It's a good thing she's still out, young man. Look at this!"

He pushed his glasses up and looked carefully. It took a few moments, but soon he was able to see what Cologne was pointing out. There on Akane's stomach was a small 2 inch circle. The outer edge of the circle was drawn in a zigzag pattern, much the same as a child would draw the sun.

As he studied the circle, the old woman pulled Akane's blouse open to reveal the shoulders and gasped, "It is as I feared."

Tofu turned, "What?"

"I wish I could say I was wrong, Tofu. But this girl and everyone around her are in great danger."

"I don't understand."

Cologne turned towards the doctor, "Let me explain. What you're looking at is part of an ancient technique called the Demon's Fist. It's an ancient Chinese spell that calls forth a demon to give a warrior strength and power."

"A demon?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, summoning a demon for this purpose has its risks. It requires great skill to master the demon and the constant watch of a demonic seer or priest to keep the demon under control while the warrior is sleeping. The last person I know of who used this ability was killed by the demon when it tried to use the warrior as a portal to our world. He was killed in the battle and the instructions were sealed in a wooden box and given to my grandmother to hide safely in our village. The box was stolen almost a hundred years ago and hasn't been seen since."

Tofu raised an eyebrow, "Interesting, but how did Akane here get a hold of this sort of technique?"

"The spell would have to be done over time and it takes several applications to make it work. We need to look through her things. You will be looking for three candles and what looks like a stick of charcoal."

They both began to search through Akane's things. Cologne carefully looked in the closet while Tofu searched the drawers of the dresser. After a few minutes of rummaging, Tofu noticed something and called out, "Elder, this may prove interesting. The writing is quite old."

Cologne hurried over to where the doctor was looking in the dresser, "What have you got there?"

What she saw made her gasp, "By the gods! It's the ancient box."

"This is what you were talking about?"

The old woman reached in the drawer and picked up a black enameled box. Not much larger than a good sized bible, the edges were adorned with a gold leafed motif while the top contained a pair of bright red Chinese kanji. The front of the box had a gold hasp and attached to the hasp was a very small lock. Cologne gently placed the old box on the desk and turned towards Tofu, "After all these years of missing from our village, it turns up in this girl's room"

"That's quite a while ago, Elder. How do you suppose she got it?"

Cologne reached for the open lock and removed it allowing the box to be opened. Inside were visible three white candles, a small blackened box, a delicate looking scroll, and a piece of paper with crudely written Japanese. She reached inside the box and pulled out the paper and shook it at the doctor, "This is how, Tofu! I'd recognize this handwriting anywhere. This is the work of Happosai!"

The doctor raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying he's the thief?

Cologne darkened as she read the paper, "Listen to this, Tofu:

School of Anything Goes Unlimited Power Technique.

On the third Monday, place three circles on the body in the places indicated, using the charcoal stick.

Light the three candles

Let a small amount of wax to drip in the center of each circle. Use one candle for each circle.

With two fingers from each hand, rub the wax into the skin and say the following, 'My heart is protected from the weaker powers. Let the Darkness grant me the strength of twenty men.'

Repeat once on every Monday for six nights."

Tofu shook his head, "It's a good thing we found out about this now, Elder."

Cologne held up one of the small candles, "Maybe not, Tofu. This candle is very small, and she may have only one or two more days to go. If she is on the last day, then the demon will do what ever it takes to get her to finish the summoning."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Tomorrow is Monday and the demon spirit inside her now will not allow her to sleep through the night. Even though I intend to send the box back to the village in China, we may well be too late."

Tofu glanced over at Akane, "Do you think this demon is going to harm her?"

Cologne shook her head, "I don't think so. If anything, the demon will protect her until it is either destroyed, or leaves on its own."

"That doesn't help us much, does it?"

Cologne looked over at the door for a moment, "I know you're out there Kasumi. You may come in for a moment. But only you, please."

Moments later, a blushing Kasumi entered the room, "I'm deeply sorry for listening in, Elder. I'm just worried about my sister."

Cologne nodded, "That's understandable, dear. Come over here and look at this box. Do you recognize it?"

The old woman showed her the box and Kasumi nodded, "Yes I do remember. About six weeks ago, Grandfather Happosai was cleaning out his things to make room for more of his…hobby, and threw that in the trash. When I asked him about it he said it was old and musty and he no longer wanted it."

Cologne raised an eyebrow, "Old and musty?"

"Yes. Later that day, Akane came in the house with the box and said she saw it sitting on the top of the can and wanted to use it for a jewelry box. I thought it might make a wonderful little jewelry box and agreed with her."

Cologne shook her head, "So Happi tossed the box into the trash and Akane found it. This just keeps going from bad to worse."

Kasumi tilted her head, "I hope I didn't cause any trouble by letting her have it, Elder. It seemed like a beautiful little box for her to keep some treasures in."

The old Amazon smiled at the younger woman, "Unless you can read ancient Chinese, there was no way for you to know, dearie."

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with my little sister?"

Cologne nodded, "Indeed we do. It would appear that either Akane or someone else has cast a demon summoning spell on her. This spell caused her to become more and more violent as it progressed. Tomorrow is Monday and so I will be leaving now to do a bit of research. I will return in the morning and we will discuss what our plans are going to be. The box was entrusted to our village to protect and I will do whatever it takes to save your sister."

Kasumi gasped, "A demon? In Akane? But…"

The young woman suddenly could take it no longer and began to break down in tears. Tofu, in a move that quite surprised the Amazon, placed his hand around Kasumi's shoulder and walked her out the door. When they had left, the rest of the family approached the door. Before they could bombard her with questions, Cologne quickly explained the situatioin about Akane.

After Cologne was finished, she excused herself and left. For Soun, the stress of the past few hours suddenly took its toll and he began to wail like a baby. He didn't get far in his outburst, before getting hit over the head by the sheath of Nodoka's katana.

The Saotome matriarch glared, "Your daughter needs you more than anything right now, Soun. You're emotional outburst isn't helping things here one bit and you need to reach inside yourself and find what's left of your pride and start acting like a man. Your family needs you…we all need you to show some strength."

Soun gave Nodoka a momentary look of anger before his face softened and he sighed, "You're right Nodoka. It's just I havn't been myself these years and it's hard to keep from losing it."

Nodoka smiled warmly as she led the man down the stairs, "I understand, Soun. Let me fix us some tea and cookies and we'll talk about it, okay?"

Before Ranma could follow his mom downstairs, he was grabbed by the hand as Nabiki pulled him towards her door, "Not yet Ranma. We need to talk."

Ranma followed his fiancé into her room, "What's up Nabiki? They said we don't have to worry about Akane till tomorrow night."

Nabiki's voice was colder than Ranma had heard in a long time, "That isn't what I want to talk about, Saotome. For right now, close and lock the door."

Ranma turned and latched the door shut, making sure it was locked. He turned to find Nabiki staring at him with an icy glare. She pointed towards a spot on the floor and as she sat down Ranma sat across from her. She tapped the tips of her fingers together before speaking, "We need to talk about Shampoo."

His eyes widened, "Sh-Shampoo?"

Her voice was like ice, "Yes, Shampoo. The two of you have a little secret you've been keeping and after that little talk with Cologne, I've grown a bit curious."

Ranma was getting nervous, "What do ya mean?"

Nabiki went into full Ice Queen mode, "Oh come now, Ranma. Surely you don't think I didn't notice you becoming jumpy when Cologne mentioned the kisses of marriage."

Ranma was sweating bullets at Nabiki's words, "I ah-"

Nabiki's face warmed a bit, "Remember Ranma, nothing happens here that I don't eventually hear about. I've had my suspicions about this, but I want to hear it from you. What happened between you and Shampoo?"

Ranma looked at his fiancé for a moment and swallowed hard, "You remember back when Shampoo hated me for a while?"

"Yes. That had something to do with a broach."

"Yeah, it was called the contra jewel or something like that. Anyway, Shampoo got a hold of this jewel and was wearing it for a while."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Well, it has this magical power. It makes you express the opposite of what you actually feel. Shampoo is normally crazy about me, but when she wore that jewel, she acted like she hated me."

Nabiki's eyes narrowed, "And you didn't care for that, did you?"

"No. It ticked me off that she was ignoring me. So I…"

"So you what, Ranma?"

Ranma swallowed again, "I challenged her."

Nabiki rubbed her temples, "You didn't…"

"Even though I beat her, she never gave me the kiss of marriage. In fact, she pretty much told me she hated my guts."

Nabiki began to calm a bit at this news as she rubbed her chin, "Why do you suppose she hasn't told Cologne about the challenge? If there were witnesses, you would have been hog tied and carried off to China by now."

"I don't know. Maybe it had something to do with that stupid jewel. If she hated me when she was wearing it, she may not remember the fight. Akane sure didn't remember telling me she loved me when she wore it."

She reached over and grabbed his hand as she stood up. Pulling him up with her, she looked at him closely, "Let's hope so. That's one little secret that might ruin everything for you."

Nabiki moved until she was inches from his face, "Listen Ranma, I already knew some things about the challenge. There were a few witnesses to the fight between you and shampoo, but they had no real idea what was going on. You are one damned lucky arrogant jock, Ranma. The only reason why I'm not completely pissed off with you right now is because that happened when you were with Akane and I really didn't have any feelings for you then."

He only nodded in agreement.

"I don't want anything like this to happen again, Ranma. I want you to promise me on your honor you will never let your arrogant ego drive you to do something that stupid again."

Ranma swallowed hard as he answered, "Yeah, sure. I promise, Nabiki."

Nabiki moved closer, "Thank you, Ranma. I know your word is as good as gold. Now I have a little secret of my own to tell you. You see, I'm not angry that you chased after Shampoo when she acted like she hated you. No Ranma. I'm angry because it could have meant losing you."

"Huh?"

"That's right. You see Ranma, I've been keeping this to myself for quite some time now. Yes, I know…The Ice Queen is full of secrets. But this little secret is special…it's about me. You already know that I care a great deal for you as my friend, but what I haven't told you is how strong those feelings are. Whether we wanted this to happen or not, Ranma, I'm slowly but surely falling in love with you. With each passing day, I find myself thinking of you more and more, and in ways I've never felt for anyone else."

Before Ranma could comment she reached out and slapped him softly across the cheek, "That's for risking your life needlessly just for the affections of Shampoo."

Ranma placed his hand on his cheek. He didn't really feel it, but the tone of her voice hit like a stone fist, "Nabiki, I didn't kno-."

She interrupted, "And this is to show how much I care for you and that I'm never going to let you go."

She then reached up with both hands and clasped them around his neck. Ranma's eyes popped open as she brought his head close to hers and kissed him full on the lips.


	12. Logan

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Logan

_From the last chapter: Nabiki then reached up with both hands and clasped them around his neck. Ranma's eyes popped open as she brought his head close to hers and kissed him full on the lips._

It was several long seconds before Nabiki slowly pulled away from the kiss. As their lips parted, she looked up closely into Ranma's wide open eyes and purred, "You see, Ranma. That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

It was fortunate for Ranma that his fiancé decided to stop just before his brain completely shut down, "N-no…it wasn't."

She smiled, "Well, I'm certainly pleased you liked it, Ranma. There's hope for you yet."

Ranma blinked, "Huh?"

Nabiki chuckled, "As much as I'd love to continue with this, there important things I need to take care of."

She moved away and pointed to the broken window, "I'm going to have to make a few calls to get my window replaced and some of my things repaired. I'll see you again later after I'm done, okay?"

Ranma nodded and mentioned he needed to do some training, but just before he left, he stuck his head back into the door, "Nabiki?"

"Yes?"

He gave her a bright smile, "That was really nice. The kiss, I mean."

He then left and shut the door leaving Nabiki in her thoughts, "_And that, dear Ranma, is one of the reasons why I've fallen for you_."

"Oh well, playtime is over. Time to get some bids on the repairs."

In the next room a much different sort of conversation was about to take place.

"_Where am I? It feels like I'm in my room, but things are all foggy and grey?_"

Through the mists of her mind, a handsome, young man appeared and smiled, "_Greetings, Akane Tendo. My name is Logan and this you see about you is all your own creation._"

The young man raised his arms to emphasize the point and Akane glanced around, "_What do you mean my creation? There's nothing here_."

Logan smiled, "_That's because in your mind, this is still a blank slate. All you have to do is picture it in your head, and whatever it is that you imagine, will appear here before you_."

Akane laughed, "_That's just plain silly. How can something appear just by imagining it?_"

The man smiled, "_Anything can be possible when you put your mind to it. Why don't you give it a try? Think of some place you know very well…like your bedroom for instance_."

She cocked her head for a moment, "_Well, it seems kind of silly, but since you asked nicely…_"

Akane closed her eyes and thought about her room. She imagined her nice comfortable bed as well as her neat little desk, dresser and all of the decorations that adorned her little bedroom. When she opened her eyes, she expected to see the same grey mists. Instead she let out a squeak of surprise as she found herself in her own room, just the way she imagined it.

"_You see Akane, this truly is your own little world. Inside it, you can do anything, and be anything you wish. You can imagine and bring anyone and anything here as well. Your friends from school, your sisters, even your fiancé if you wish_."

She looked down sadly, "_He's not my fiancé, at least not any more_."

Logan laughed, "_This is your world, Akane. All you have to do is imagine it and it's yours_."

Akane stared at the man carefully and thought, "_Can it really be that easy_?"

Suddenly Ranma appeared in front of her. Smiling warmly, he sat down beside her on the bed and placed his hand gently on hers, "_Hi there Akane. How ya doin today_?"

The man smiled, "_You see, Akane. Here you can have anything you want. Even loved ones who have passed on_."

Her head shot around as Ranma faded away, "_Are you serious_?"

"_It's your world_."

Suddenly a woman appeared. Taller and older than Akane, she never the less looked quite similar. Wearing a light maroon kimono with pink flowers, she almost radiated love and compassion.

Akane whispered, "_Mom_?"

The woman smiled as she bent over and cupped Akane's face in her hands, "_My dear Akane. I've missed you so_."

Akane jumped up and grabbed her mother, squeezing her tightly as she cried, "_I've missed you too, Mom. I've missed you so much!_"

Never had she felt such joy as Akane did at that moment. For several minutes, she just stood there hugging her mother while crying into the woman's kimono. The woman's voice sounded so soothing, like soft music, "_There, there daughter. Everything's going to be alright_."

Akane looked up at her mother. At first she was just as she imagined, not having aged a single day in all these years and just as beautiful as ever. But then something started to happen. Her mother shimmered a bit and faded from sight. Akane looked around in panic as everything in her little world slowly faded from view. After a few moments, the only thing left was herself, and Logan.

She glared at him, "_What happened? You said this was my world_!"

The man smiled and nodded, "_And I have not lied to you, my friend. This is truly your world. What caused your images to fail was not your fault but an outside force attempting to hold you back_."

"_I don't understand. What force_."

Logan spread his hands apart, "_The power to create this was awakened in you when you began the spell of strength. You are nearly finished, and once you complete the final ritual, all of this and more will be yours forever_."

Akane nodded and he continued, "_The Amazon Elder has taken the box and you must retrieve it before tonight to complete the spell before she can ship it back to China. But before we can do that, you must remove the chain that locks you within your own mind._"

"_How do I do that_?"

"_Come with me, my friend, and I will show you_."

Logan turned and began to walk. Akane followed close behind and after a very short while a bright green glow could be seen in the mist ahead. When they got closer, she could see the glow was coming from three circles drawn on the ground. Each about a foot in diameter, they pulsed and glowed with an eerie green light.

Akane stared at the circles for a moment, "_What are these things? I certainly didn't make them, did I_?"

Logan smiled warmly, "_No, my dear, you certainly didn't. These were put here by the Amazon and the doctor, and are meant to keep you from awaking and completing your goal. These are the chains I spoke of, Akane. These are what are holding you back from what is rightfully yours_."

Akane looked down at the circles for a moment then back over to Logan, "_Is there a way to remove them_?"

"_Indeed there is. This is your world, after all. Concentrate on one circle at a time and make them vanish. Remember though, these were put here by an outside force, they will not be that easy to remove…Now try it, Akane. Concentrate on one of the circles_."

Akane picked the one closest to her and began to concentrate on removing it. She thought hard on seeing only the grey mists with no ugly green circles in the way. She concentrated for what seemed like ages and for a moment she was seriously thinking of calling it quits when she noticed something and smiled. The circle was fading.

Back in the real world, Ranma had gone into the dojo to workout. He snickered to himself a bit as he took note of the hog-tied panda in one corner, "One of these days, Pop, you're gonna learn not to piss Mom off. You're lucky that's all she did to you after this morning."

Ranma suddenly stopped talking when he realized his panda-father wasn't responding in the least. In fact, the elder Saotome was peacefully snoring. Ranma shook his head in disgust and began his kata's.

It was about an hour and a half later that his workout was disturbed by a somewhat frightened looking fiancé, "Ranma, you need to come up to the house. Quickly!"

He quickly reached down and picked up his shirt, "Yeah sure, Nabiki. What's up?"

Nabiki was already running back, "It's Akane. She's gone!"

It only took a few moments for the two teens to reach Akane's room. Inside Tofu was examining the open window and the bed, Soun was off to one side being comforted by Kasumi, while Nodoka walked up to them, "Son, the doctor tells me she could have broken free anytime after we left here. It doesn't look as if anyone came in so she must have freed herself."

Ranma cursed under his breath, "Where could she have gone?"

Tofu looked up, "She's probably going after the box, Ranma. Cologne said that if she was close to finishing the summoning, the demon would do whatever it took to make her complete the task."

"I gotta get over to the Cat Café, then."

Ranma turned to take off, but before he could, Nabiki grabbed him by the arm and whispered softly, "Try to save my little sister, Ranma. But please be careful as well for your own sake."

She then gave Ranma's hand a squeeze and Ranma smiled, "Don't worry, Nabiki. I'll find her."

After Ranma left, Nabiki turned towards Tofu, "I hate to say this, but I don't think I can just sit here and wait it out. I need to be there."

Kasumi gave a worried look, "No Nabiki. It's too dangerous! If Akane is under a demon's control, you could be seriously hurt."

Tofu walked up to the two sisters, "I'll take you with me, Nabiki. There may well be injuries if a battle erupts."

He then turned towards Kasumi and kissed her on the cheek, "Don't worry Kasumi, I promise I'll keep us both safe."

Kasumi reached out and grabbed his hand while giving a very un-Kasumi like glare, "You better…"

Before they could leave, Nodoka spoke out, "I'll meet you there after I wake Genma."

Nabiki smirked, "Are you sure you want to do that, Auntie?"

Nodoka smiled, "He may be selfish, lazy, and arrogant, but he's still one of the best martial artists around."

With that she spun around and headed off to get her husband. Nabiki and Tofu immediately headed out the door on their own, hoping to get to the Cat Café before it was too late. Unfortunately, as Ranma was finding out, it already was.

Ranma stared with wide eyes. There was little left of the small café he had visited so often. Many times the place caused him much grief, but today would not be one of them. He rushed over to the main entrance and called inside, "Hello, anyone here?"

The door itself had been ripped off of its hinges and tossed against far wall, shattering it and a pair of tables. Chairs and tables littered the small café and the counter was completely ruined, smashed in two as if by some monstrous axe. Ranma carefully made his way through the café, searching for the Amazons and praying he wasn't too late. He called out once again and heard a sound in the back kitchen. As he worked his way across the debris, he could see the damage was the most intense here. Pans, pots, cabinets, knives, and everything else were thrown everywhere.

He saw a small movement and called out, "Shampoo! Cologne! Hang in there and I'll get you out!"

As quick as he could, the pig tailed martial artist began to move the mess out of the way. He found Cologne and Shampoo under the remains of a broken cabinet. Ranma tossed the wreckage aside and squatted down beside them, "Hey you guys. Are ya okay?"

The old woman slowly opened her eyes, "I'm certainly 'not' okay, sonny boy. Here, help an old woman up, will you."

Ranma helped Cologne up and pointed over to Shampoo, "We gotta do something about her. She's breathing but she hasn't moved."

"Better let me look at her, Ranma"

"Doc! Man, am I glad to see you. She doesn't look too good."

Tofu squatted down next to the young Amazon while Nabiki gasped, "Good Lord, Ranma! What happened here?"

Cologne was leaning heavily on her stick, "I'll tell you what happened young lady. You're sister Akane stopped by for a visit."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "You can't be serious, Cologne. I know Akane has violence issues, but this looks like somebody tossed a grenade in here."

The old woman coughed twice as she leaned on her stick, "That's a pretty good analogy, Miss Tendo. When she attacked, we had no idea what hit us. By then, it was far too late to do anything about it…."


	13. Cologne's Story

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Cologne's Story

_From the last chapter: Cologne coughed twice as she leaned on her stick, "That's a pretty good analogy, Miss Tendo. When she attacked, we had no idea what hit us. By then, it was far too late to do anything about it…." _

"I had just sent Mousse out to pickup some stocks for the restaurant. Shampoo was taking care of the customers and I was cooking the ramen as usual. Normally on a day like today, we would have quite a few customers, but something was different and we were a bit light today. Suddenly, I felt a chill down my back as if someone was sizing me up. I guess I wasn't that surprised when I turned around to find your ex-fiancé smiling cutely behind my back. I was about to attack her with all I had, when she smiled with complete innocence and bowed deeply to me. This I found somewhat confusing and dropped my guard as she stood back up. Unfortunately, I noticed too late the red glow behind her eyes and took the full force of her ki attack at point blank."

Ranma interrupted, "Whoa! Ki attack? Akane doesn't have any ki attacks…unless you count that damned mallet of hers."

"That's precisely what I mean, Ranma. From out of nowhere and without my senses picking it up, she not only produced largest version of that hammer I have ever seen, but she hit me square across the head as well. Before I could recover from the first attack, I was hit once again and slammed into the wall over the stove with enough force to knock most of the cooking supplies off of the shelves. How I missed getting burned, I don't know. I tried to get up from the mess, but was pinned under the debris. I wasn't trapped for long before she reached through the rubble, grabbed me around the neck, and jerked me free. I can still feel those evil red eyes glowing at me as she ordered me to give her the box. Of course I refused, but unfortunately, Shampoo picked that time to interrupt our little chat."

Tofu picked that moment to look up, "I'm sorry, elder. There isn't much I can do under these circumstances. I need to get to a phone and call an ambulance."

Cologne nodded, "Our phone was destroyed but the bakery shop right next door will have one. Tell them I sent you and they won't mind you borrowing it for an emergency call."

After Tofu had left, the old woman knelt down by Shampoo and gently stroked her hair, "Knowing what I know now, it was foolish for either of us to resist her power. The demon in her had become much too strong for either of us to challenge alone. Of course, neither of us knew that at the time and all shampoo saw was her former rival attacking me. Akane threw me roughly aside and although I was prepared for a rough landing, some loose packages of rice cushioned me enough that I could maintain my wits and observe the battle. Shampoo had produced her bonburi and was warily watching the Tendo girl. When Akane attacked with her mallet, Shampoo was able to deflect the weapon with her own. In a move I found somewhat surprising, Akane tossed the mallet aside and assumed a fighting pose. Shampoo attacked once again, but her weapons were knocked clear by Akane as she jumped up and kicked both of them free from her hands."

Ranma whistled, "She never could do that before. Even I would have a hard time knocking Shampoo's weapons down like that."

The old woman nodded, "The demon within your ex-fiancé is enhancing all of her fighting skills, as well as her senses. You had best forget any clumsy tomboyish views you had about the girl, Ranma. With that demon assisting her, she's just as dangerous and capable as any other martial artist here."

The pig-tailed martial artist glanced down at the quiet form of the young Amazon, "Shampoo is no easy target. Even if Akane is more powerful, how could she have gotten though all that Amazon training?"

"In the end, it was her own foolish pride that beat her. She couldn't believe the Tendo girl was a threat and was not using her full skills as an Amazon warrior. Instead of grabbing a knife from the stove, she assumed the other's weaponless stance as a challenge to fight hand to hand. When she leaped towards Akane, she never imagined the girl would grab her legs and swing her overhead like a sack of rice. She certainly felt the impact when her body slammed up against those wooden crates, though. Shampoo was not to be put down by a first attack and was back on her feet if a little shaky at first. This time it was the Tendo girl that moved to the offensive. I yelled at Shampoo to be careful, but as I watched them fight hand to hand, I knew Shampoo was going to loose in the end. Akane was punching with massive amounts of power that were overwhelming Shampoo's defenses. Shampoo was able to get one or two hits in, but the Tendo girl was taking them as if she was in a pillow fight. As Shampoo began to wear down, Akane became even more aggressive until finally she got the opening she was looking for. As Shampoo blocked a kick, Akane moved in with a powerful one-two combination that struck with bone crushing force directly in her chest. I was still too weak to help and watched helplessly as Shampoo crumpled to the floor. Akane reached down and grabbed her by her blouse and then called to me, 'Old woman! Tell me where the box is, or she dies right now. Tell me! Or I'll snap your Great Granddaughter's neck right here and now.'."

Nabiki gasped, "No! That isn't Akane…no way that's her. She isn't capable of killing anyone."

Ranma shook his head, "Yeah. Sure she used to smack me around, but that was because I could take it. She'd never hurt someone like that when they were down…even a rival like Shampoo."

Silent tears crept down the old woman's cheek as she gently stroked the young Amazon's hair, "I think that Shampoo would probably disagree with you now, Ranma. When your ex-fiancé demanded I tell her where the box was, all I could think of was Shampoo. In a fleeting moment, my eyes glanced over to the cabinet where I kept the Amazon treasures we had here. I thought she didn't see me do it, but I was wrong. Realizing my mistake, I quickly snapped my gaze back at the girl, only to see her laugh at me. Akane violently threw Shampoo against the food shelves next to me, causing everything to fall on top of the two of us. I was pinned under the stocks, but I heard the girl break apart the cabinet and her yell of satisfaction when she uncovered the box. It must have been about 30 minutes later before you and the good doctor arrived."

A Siren could be heard coming close and Nabiki knelt down next to the old woman, "So she has the box now. What can we do about it, Cologne."

The old woman looked over at Nabiki with tear streaked cheeks, "We need to find her Nabiki. We need to find her before it's too late. Before she can complete the spell and the demon is fully summoned. For if she does complete that spell, all of us, as well as Akane herself will be in mortal danger."

The siren sounded like it was outside the café and Ranma asked, "What do you mean she's in danger?"

The old woman sighed, "I didn't tell you this before, because I thought everything was under control. The truth is, no one has ever saved a host from a summoned demon. In all cases, the only way to send the demon back, is to kill the host, in this case, Akane."

There was a collective gasp from the room as a pair of paramedics along with Dr. Tofu worked their way through the rubble towards Shampoo. When they arrived in the room, Tofu pointed out the young Amazon and the Paramedics immediately went to work. While they worked, cologne hobbled over to Ranma and grabbed his hand in an iron grip, "You must find her Ranma! You've seen the damage she did here. It's nothing compared to the power that will be released if she completes that spell tomorrow night. You must find her before it's too late!"

Nabiki placed her hand on the old woman's shoulders, "Demon or not, she's still my little sister. Don't worry, Cologne. We're going to do everything we can to locate her."

Cologne reached out and touched Shampoo's hand as she was rolled past in the gurney. "I know you will, Miss Tendo. I'm sorry if I can't assist you right now, but I need to be with my Great Granddaughter. I promise that I will join up with you later."

As the old woman hobbled after the gurney, Nabiki turned towards Ranma, "This is beginning to get out of hand. If she has become that powerful, it's going to take more than just you to stop this from going any further."

Ranma puffed out his chest and smirked, "Hey, you know me. I always come out on top."

Nabiki moved close to Ranma and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer, "Listen, you. That may well have been true in the past, but this is different. Akane was able to take out both Cologne and Shampoo without breaking a sweat. You need to use your head and not get all macho when you confront her."

"Don't worry, Nabiki. I'll make it though this okay."

Nabiki rested her head against Ranma's chest, "This isn't me. A year ago, I could care less about what happened to you. If anything, I would have found a way to blame this on you and charge you for the trouble. Now I'm scared to death you're going to get yourself killed."

Ranma patted her softly on her head, "That's not gonna happen."

She reached up and kissed him lightly on the cheek before pulling away, "I'll hold you to that, Ranma."

"Huh?"

She smirked playfully, "If you let anything happen to yourself this time, I'll have to charge you for the trouble."

"What do you-?"

She laughed a bit, "You do know I'm just kidding. Right?"

"Oh…Oh yeah. I knew it all along."

Nabiki smiled in an unusually warm way, "Alright then. What say we get out of this place before it falls on top of us?"

Ranma flashed her a smile of his own, "Sounds like a plan to me."

When they got outside, the paramedics already had Shampoo inside the ambulance, and Nodoka and Genma were just arriving as it began to pull away. As Genma took a peek inside the ruined café, Nodoka shook her head, "What happened here? Did you find Akane?"

Nabiki leaned against Ranma, "It was Akane that did this, Auntie. She tore this place apart looking for the box, and she beat the Amazons doing it. Shampoo is badly hurt, and although she isn't saying, I think Cologne took some damage as well. There was a nasty battle in there, but in the end, Akane was able to get the box."

Genma walked back over to the group, "So she's got the box now. What can we do about it?"

"Mr. Saotome, we're going to have to find it before tomorrow night. If she still has that box in her possession by then, she will complete the spell and release the demon."

Genma looked from his wife, to his son and back to Nabiki. "It's the duty of a martial artist to fight off demons and monsters. Tell me what it is you need me to do."

Ranma blinked a few times and wondered what if he was hearing right while Nodoka allowed herself the smallest of smiles as she nodded her head to Nabiki. The middle Tendo daughter raised an eyebrow for a second before answering, "You and Ranma are the best martial artists we have at the moment and I need the both of you to begin searching for her. Scour the city for every little hiding place you can find. From what I understand, she's going to be staying out of sight until tomorrow night and we must find her before then!"

Genma smirked, "That's all I need to know. Let's go, Ranma! We have a demon to catch."

As the portly martial artist took off, Ranma shook his head, "Man, I hope this wasn't a bad idea."

Nodoka chuckled softly to herself as her son and husband took off, "As bad as all of this is, it may prove to be a good thing for my dear husband."

Nabiki gave the older woman a questioning look, "I thought you were still angry with him?"

The older woman smiled, "Just because I'm angry with him doesn't mean I don't love him. He has much to atone for and this may well be his first opportunity to prove himself to me. The fact he took the initiative, says there is still a bit of the old Genma left in him."

Nabiki smirked, "If you say so, Auntie. He's your husband after all. I just hope Ranma doesn't kill him before we find Akane."

Nodoka laughed as she patted the sword she carried, "Oh, I'm sure he will be on his better behavior. We had a nice little chat about just that very thing earlier."

"I can imagine."

Nodoka smirked playfully, "You can call me 'Mom' if you wish, Nabiki."

The young woman stammered, "I-we aren't ready for that yet, Auntie. I care for him a lot, believe me I do. But we're not ready for that right now."

Nodoka smiled warmly, "Alright dearie. Just don't keep us waiting too long for you two to decide."

"Don't worry. When we make that decision, you will be one of the first to know."

The older woman smiled again, "So, my someday in the future daughter in law. Where do we go now?"

Nabiki shook her head as she smiled, "We need to gather reinforcements."

"Oh? You have someone in mind?"

"I have a few, actually. Our first stop will be the Kuno Estate."


	14. Swords and Kuno

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Of Swords and Kuno

Nodoka and Nabiki made there way through the streets of Nerima towards the Kuno estate. Along the way, Nodoka began to lightly question her potential daughter in-law.

"Nabiki? I have a question I would like to ask of you, if I may."

Nabiki looked over at the older woman and smiled, "Certainly. As long as it doesn't concern grandchildren or marriage, I'm open to anything."

Nodoka pouted, "You're no fun."

Nabiki smiled, "It's like I said earlier, Auntie, I'm not quite ready to talk about that with anyone, except for maybe Ranma. Pushing marriage and grandchildren on him is exactly the sort of thing that caused so much friction between him and Akane. I will say this Auntie, I care for him a lot and I don't want to see him hurt like that again."

Nodoka thought about what the younger woman had said for a moment, "I'll let you in on little secret, Nabiki. After my first visit to your home, I asked around the neighborhood about you and your family."

"Oh really?"

"Indeed. I was concerned that my son might have been paired with the wrong girl after seeing her early outbursts. Later, as I chatted with the neighbors, I found that she was quite abusive of my son and was prone to hitting him quite often."

"Yes, she did to that quite a bit."

"Because I knew of the Tendo/Saotome agreement as well, I looked into the possibility of other matches."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Auntie?"

"Well, I knew that Kasumi considered Ranma to be a bit too young for her. Although she is very kind, forcing him onto her would have caused problems. It was also only recently I found out that she had feelings for Dr. Tofu."

Nabiki smirked, "Yeah, the doc has had a crush on big sis for a long time. Nobody was as surprised as I was to find out they had suddenly come together. It looks like it's doing some real good too. I've never seen Kasumi so happy. Not the spaced out happy she puts on all the time, but truly happy."

Nodoka smiled, "Yes, they certainly do make a cute couple. Which brings me to you, my dear. When I first met your family, you seemed to dislike my son quite a bit. You used him for monetary gains and put him into embarrassing predicaments. When I talked with others and brought you up into the conversation, most people seemed to be afraid to discuss you. And yet, the Nabiki I am talking to today seems far and away different from the young woman I first met. Why the change?"

Nabiki walked in silence for a minute before answering, "He grew on me, Auntie. It's true that when he first showed up, I didn't care for him. Sure, he was handsome and well built, but he also lacked social graces and was flat broke."

"Is money that important to you, dearie?"

Nabiki ignored the question and continued, "I was selling photos of my sister while she was working out with her martial arts to some of the guys in school. They fetched a good price and it allowed me to not only make a bit more money, but to help Kasumi with the groceries. When Ranma showed up, it changed the whole playing field. Not only did his constant fights in school allow me to set up betting pools, but some people were willing to pay large sums of money for photos of his cursed form. One boy in particular was willing to pay thousands of yen for each photo."

"Are you still selling photos of my son?"

Nabiki sighed, "No Auntie, something happened a few months ago. I hadn't realized it, but it snuck up on me before I could take any action against it."

The older woman smiled, "You began to fall in love with him, didn't you?"

Nabiki slowly shook her head, "Yeah, that about sums it up. I didn't plan on it but Ranma has a way of growing on you. He never holds a grudge against anyone and likes to help people when they're in need. One day I was going over the account books for the dojo. We were going to be short quite a bit of money and I was trying to figure out how to make up the difference. He walked into the room and asked me what was wrong. At first I didn't answer, but eventually I told him we were going to be short that month and I needed to come up with more cash for the bills. Out of the blue he offered to let me photograph his female form if it would bring in enough money."

Nodoka smiled warmly to herself as Nabiki continued, "We did a few photos and made enough money to pay off the bills. After that he would come by once a month and check to make sure we had enough. I didn't realize it back then, but I was falling for him. Ranma continued to get himself into potentially bad situations in school, and I started to help him out of them, for a small fee of course. Originally, it was cash, but one day Ranma offered to pay for the dept in ice cream."

"Ice cream?"

Nabiki chuckled, "Yes. You wouldn't believe how much he loves the stuff. Anyway, we would sit and chat about what happened in school and about the madness at home. Over time, we started to build up a bond. I only thought of him as a friend though, someone I could chat with and share some time."

"So what changed?"

"Last week is what changed. Yeah sure, I'm supposed to be the Ice Queen with no emotional feelings at all, but when I saw him bleeding to death in that shop, it felt as if my heart had been wrenched out. The last time I felt so much hurt was when mother had died years ago. I realized that I had been lying to myself all along and that I had been ignoring what my heart was telling me. I realized that I loved him."

Nodoka nodded, "Sometimes it takes a tragedy or near tragedy to make us realize our true feelings. It would appear, daughter, that you have been given a second chance."

Nabiki's eyes widened, "Daughter?"

"Does that bother you, dear?"

"No, but it feels strange. The last time anyone called me that was Mom."

"Would you mind too much if I called you that when we were alone, like now?

Nabiki thought about it for a moment, "No, not really. It's kind of nice actually, but for now, let's keep that a bit to ourselves. I'm not ready for it to be announced to the world quite yet."

Nodoka allowed herself a small smirk, "Alright…daughter."

Nabiki shook her head and chuckled to herself at her future mother in law's antics.

They walked in somewhat silence the rest of the way to the Kuno estate making short comments on the sights along the way. When they reached the entrance to the estate, Nabiki rang the bell by the gate. Moments later a very small man dressed in black appeared at the gate.

"Yes, what can I do for you"

Nabiki smiled, "Hello Sasuke. We would like to see Tatewaki. You can tell him that it concerns Akane and is very important."

The little man bowed and was gone in an instant. Nodoka raised an eyebrow, "Was that a Ninja?"

"Yes. He is the servant for the house and takes care of the Kuno family. He is very loyal to the family, but at the same time, reluctant to cause outsiders harm."

The little ninja appeared again, "The master will see you now, Miss Tendo. Follow me please."

The path leading up the main house was short, but visible on both sides were the immaculate gardens of the estate. Sasuke led them through the main doors and into a waiting room. He bowed to them both, "The master will be with you shortly."

Nabiki whispered, "I should warn you, Tatewaki likes to speak in poetry and use ancient phrases."

Nodoka nodded as their host approached. Wearing the flowing robes of the ancient samurai, Tatewaki Kuno attempted to present himself as a man of considerable importance. He spread his arms apart as he spoke, "Nabiki Tendo. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

The two women bowed to the young man and Nabiki spoke, "We have-."

She was interrupted, "My apologies, it was rude of me to ignore the presence of such a lovely woman."

Tatewaki bowed, "My name is Tatewaki Kuno, at your service."

Nodoka's eyes narrowed as she bowed slightly, "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Saotome. Mrs. Nodoka Saotome."

Kuno seemed to have missed the connection and motioned towards a set of comfortable chairs, "Please have a seat. We can discuss what it is you require while Sasuke brings us some refreshments."

The three took a seat around an ornately carved table and after the little ninja served some tea, Nabiki began, "Kuno, we have come to you because we have a problem. It's Akane."

"Ah, your sister, the fair and beautiful Akane Tendo."

Nabiki continued, "Yes. She is in grave danger, Kuno. A demon of great evil now has control over her and is planning to do her great harm. I need you to help us find her before it's too late."

Kuno blinked, "A demon you say? I was under the impression that you had already freed her from that foul sorcerer."

"Kuno, that's not-."

He interrupted, "You ended that foul demon's engagement to the fair Akane Tendo. No longer is she bound by that vile, honorless bastard, Ranma Saotome.

The unmistakable sound of drawn steel filled the air followed by the flash of a blade in the light. Tatewaki Kuno had no question in his mind as to what was causing the sharp, painful sensation just below his jaw. He could clearly see the blade and its owner. The woman before him now bore no resemblance to the quiet and very polite woman he had been talking with. Her soft features, now hardened into a mask of silent rage, glared at the young man with eyes that nearly burned.

"Do not even twitch, boy. I have to but move my hand a millimeter and this blade will slit your neck open."

Kuno croaked in a raspy voice, "What…what have I done to deserve this?"

The woman looked at Kuno with a deadly stare, "I am Nodoka Saotome, Matriarch head of the Saotome clan, and grandmaster of the Saotome art of the katana. I am also the mother of Ranma Saotome."

Kuno squeaked, "Ra-Ranma?"

"Yes, boy. Not only have you insulted my honor as a mother and grandmaster, you have insulted my clan as well. I could kill you now and be well within my rights to preserve my family's honor."

Nabiki was really scared. This was not the way she wanted things to go at all. She knew it might be a chance bringing Nodoka here, but she didn't think for a moment the Saotome matriarch would already be willing to kill him. She really needed the help of Kuno and she needed him alive. Nabiki walked forward and placed her hand gently on the angry woman's arm. "Mom! Please don't do this. We need him."

Nodoka turned her head slightly, "Mom?"

Nabiki was looking at her with pleading eyes. The older woman turned her head back to the young man and pulled the honor blade away from his neck, "This is your lucky day, boy. Know that the only reason why your blood is not flowing on these floors is because my daughter here wishes for you to live. You now owe me a debt of honor, you can pay that debt by helping us locate her sister."

Tatewaki Kuno nearly collapsed to his knees when the blade was pulled away. He quickly ran his hand up to his neck and sighed in relief. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards the two women and bowed, "My humble apologies for offending you. I will do what ever I can to assist."

Nabiki looked from the elder Kuno to Nodoka and back. She raised an eyebrow, "Look Kuno, my sister Akane is missing. A demon of unspeakable evil has possessed her and we need to find her before tomorrow night. If we do not, it will kill her."

Kuno's eyes widened, "We must make haste then. We must find your fair sister and rescue her!"

Nabiki grabbed Kuno by the arm, "Listen to me carefully, Kuno-baby. This is not a game. My sister is in deep trouble. I need you to use your 'resources' to help us locate her. Understand?"

He nodded, "I understand. I will get to work on it immediately."

Nodoka bowed, "Thank you. I trust you will keep us up to date on anything you find."

Nabiki smiled, "Listen Kuno. I know we aren't on the best of terms, but you can bet that any help you can give us to find my sister will be greatly appreciated by me and her family."

Kuno smiled, "Nabiki Tendo. I have another reason for helping you."

"What's that?"

"You are now engaged to Ranma, are you not?"

Nabiki nodded in understanding, "Just make sure she is willing. We will not tolerate any more declarations or school boys forcing themselves on her again. If she says no, it means no."

Nodoka stepped forward, "We must be going. If you could show us to the door, we will be leaving."

The two said their good-byes and were led to the door by Sasuke. When they were once again on the street, Nabiki asked her future mother in law, "Auntie, I need to know something."

Nodoka smiled, "Yes dear?"

"You weren't really going to kill him, were you?"

"I have had to deal with big talkers before. Some learn fast and others…they need a shock to bring them around. This young friend of yours needed a shock to bring him back to reality."

"Would you have killed him?"

She turned towards Nabiki, "Only as an extreme last resort. I am not in the habit of killing anyone, but honor demanded I respond in some way to his accusations. He must learn there are conciquences to be paid for his actions."

"I hope you don't mind me telling you this, but you nearly scared me to death back there. I was certain you were going to kill him."

Nodoka nodded, "That was entirely up to him, daughter. So tell me, where to now?"

"Ukyo is next."


	15. A Chat with Ukyo

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

A Chat with Ukyo

As Nabiki and Nodoka made their way towards Ukyo's, Ranma and Genma continued searching for Akane. Genma, being the overly lazy person he was, had begun to get tired of looking for the girl and wanted to take a break.

"Come on, boy! We've been searching for hours now. Let's take a break and catch our breath."

"What do you mean, Pops? We've just started looking and now you're wanting to sit on your panda-butt again?"

The elder Saotome glared at Ranma, "Show some respect for your elders, boy. I'm not as young as I used to be."

Ranma laughed, "Hah! You sure don't show that when dinner's on the table, old man."

Genma sat down on one of the benches by the sidewalk, "Why don't you take a look in those alleys over there, boy. I'll keep watch in case she shows up here in the plaza."

"You wouldn't be so quick to sit on your big butt if Mom was around."

"Well, boy. She isn't here now, is she?"

Ranma grinned wickedly, "Don't be so sure."

He waved his hands over his head, "Hi Mom!"

In an instant, Genma shot off of the bench and was looking from one shop to another calling out Akane's name. Ranma laughed and shook his head, "This is going to be fun!"

* * *

A few blocks away, Nabiki and Nodoka were making their way across town towards Ukyo's place. As they walked, Nodoka began to discuss the young chef, "This young woman isn't quite like the others, is she?"

"No she isn't. Unlike Shampoo, Kodachi, and even me, she was friends with Ranma when they were kids. If it weren't for the Tendo/Saotome agreement, Ranma would probably marry her and she knows it."

Nodoka thought for a moment, "I see, she feels her prize has been snatched from her grasp. Do you think she will help us?"

"That's hard to say. Although Ukyo and Akane have been rivals since the beginning, Ukyo has been fair about it. Sure, when she saw a chance to break them up, she was right there doing what she thought she had to do, but when it came to competing for Ranma's affection, she was a better sport than the others about it. I think if it weren't for the presence of Ranma, those two might have become friends."

Nodoka was about to comment when a voice yelled out behind them, "Where the hell am I now?"

Nabiki turned around and quickly recognized the traveler wearing worn clothes, a large backpack, and a yellow and black spotted bandana, "Well, well. If it isn't Ryoga Hibiki."

The young man turned with start, "Nabiki Tendo? What are you doing in Beijing?"

Nabiki smirked, "I've never been to Beijing, Hibiki. This is Nerima."

Ryoga's eyes had that far-away look, "Then I'm back…I can see Akane again!"

Nabiki shook her head, "Not so fast, Hibiki. If you want to see Akane, you're going to have to help us find her."

Ryoga's eyes blazed, "What did that no-good Ranma do to her now?"

Nodoka reached for the hilt of her katana, but Nabiki already had a hand over the end. She looked quickly up at the older woman and shook her head. When Nodoka reluctantly nodded, Nabiki continued, "Unlike the rest of your fantasies, Ranma had nothing to do with this."

Ryoga wasn't listening, "What do you mean? It's always Ranma's fault."

As Nodoka began to tense up, Nabiki moved to within inches of the lost boy's face, "Listen P-chan, if I were you, I would quit insulting my fiancé in front of me and his mother!"

Ryoga froze as three pieces of information suddenly burned into his head, but only one truly registered, "Y-you know?"

Nabiki drawled, "You should know by now there is nothing going on around me I don't know about, Hibiki. Did you really think you could just hop in the koi pond and then go straight to my little sister's bed without me knowing it?"

Ryoga's eyes widened, "Akane…?"

Nabiki's eyes were as cold as ice, "Don't worry, P-chan. I'm not going to tell her, at least not yet. When Akane was Ranma's fiancé, I didn't think it was in my best interest to let her know the truth. She might have knocked Ranma silly over it, but she would have had Kasumi make what was left of you into sweet and sour pork."

While Ryoga sweated, Nabiki continued with cold precision, "So here's the way it's going to be, Hibiki. I need you to help us find Akane. You start looking for her right now and when you find her, bring her safely back to the dojo. You do that and I might…just might allow you to keep P-chan a secret. I've let you keep that secret from my sister from the day you arrived and now you owe me big-time"

There weren't many things in the world that frightened Ryoga Hibiki, but at that moment he realized the most horrifying thing he had ever faced was standing right in front of him and he was completely terrified, "Y-yes Nabiki. I'll go look for her. Right away!"

Ryoga took off in a random direction while Nabiki fumed. Nodoka placed her hand gently on her future daughter-in-law's shoulder, "Do we really need his help? I don't care for that boy's attitude at all"

Nabiki took a deep breath and sat down on a nearby bench, "His family has a curse that gives them a horrible sense of direction. Ryoga is no exception and will get lost in a locked cell if you let him. When he was younger, he and Ranma were in an all-boy's school together. Like a lot of boys they got into a few fights with each other. Ranma was always the victor and this made Ryoga very angry. One day he challenged Ranma to a fighting duel in the lot behind the boy's house. Ranma showed up and waited, but the lost boy didn't show up until four days later. By that time, Genma had taken Ranma off to train in China. Ryoga followed them, somehow keeping up as they made their way through the countryside. When they came to the cursed pools, Ranma, in his cursed form accidently knocked Ryoga into one of the pools."

"What does he change into?"

"A little black pig. He followed Ranma back here to Nerima and started issuing challenges. Ryoga is intensely strong and fights with no care of who he hurts in the process. Akane wears her hair short now because one of his flying weapons cut most of it off."

Nodoka gasped.

"Yeah, he's a real pig in more ways than one. Later when Ranma found out that the boy also had a curse, he promised to keep it a secret. Ryoga used that promise to get back at Ranma by becoming Akane's pet pig, P-chan. Unlike the rest of us, my little sister thinks the pig is just a cute little black pig. When the little porker shows up, she mothers it and takes it in her room and even sleeps with it."

"She sleeps with a pig?"

Nabiki nodded, "Even though Ranma was bound by his honor about the promise, he dropped no end of hints for her. But in the eyes of my clueless sister, Ranma was just picking on her pet."

Nodoka frowned, "Why has no one else told her of this?"

Nabiki shook her head and stared at her hands, "When I first saw it developing, I figured that she would find out and give the pig a good pounding. But it went on and on and she never did figure it out. I considered telling her myself, but I also realized she would hurt Ranma in a big way for keeping the secret from her. I had no doubt that somehow she would have considered the whole thing Ranma's fault. I am certain Kasumi also knew of it, but I have no way of proving it. I do know for certain that not only my Dad, but Genma also knew of it."

"Surely your father would have stopped it."

"You would think so, but no, he didn't do a thing about it. From what I have been able to find out, they let it happen because they wanted Ranma to get jealous and put a stop to it himself."

Nabiki stood up from the bench, "Well Auntie, I'm not standing in the way of it any more. If a little accident happens and the little porker gets discovered, that's just too bad."

Nodoka walked alongside Nabiki as they continued towards Ukyo's, "I hope something is done soon, it's not healthy for a young woman to be sleeping with a pig like that."

Nabiki smirked, "Yeah, well here's the final clincher. He has another girlfriend, a really cute and understanding one. She lives on a farm and loves him to death. She even knows about his curse and it doesn't bother her at all. Yet even with this wonderful girl waiting for him, he keeps coming back to Akane."

Nodoka shook her head and they made the rest of their trip in silence. Ukyo's restraint was relatively empty and they both took a seat off to one side. Ukyo looked up for a moment and walked over to the front door and put out the closed sign. When the last customer had left, she walked over to the pair and folded her arms across her chest.

"Alright you two. I know you aren't here for any okonomiyaki. What's up?"

"Nabiki smirked, "Darn, and here I was hoping to buy one of the specials."

She threw up her arms and turned around, "Fine. Have a seat up here by the grill while I fix up something. You can tell me what's going on while I cook."

They took a seat at the grill while Ukyo started cooking. Nabiki watched for a moment before beginning, "You and Akane were never real enemies, were you?"

The chef looked up for a moment, "Nah, of all the people that were competing for Ranma, I felt she and I were about equal. She's a fairly good martial artist, but her temper and cooking needed a lot of work. Why do you ask?"

"Akane is in bad trouble, Ukyo. She got hold of a dangerous technique thinking it would increase her martial arts ability. Instead it's released a demon inside her. One that will soon kill her if we don't stop it."

Ukyo nearly dropped her spatula, "A demon? How the heck did she get into that mess?"

Nabiki sighed, "Long story short, she came across a long lost technique that she thought enhances one's strength. In reality, it allows a demon to enter your body. The demon gives great power but also can control the body and mind. Akane was near the end of the process when we found out, and the items for the technique were given to cologne for safe keeping."

"So it should be safe with the Amazons."

"We thought so too, but Akane went over to the cat café and beat them up pretty bad. Cologne has a nasty limp and Shampoo was taken unconscious to the hospital."

"Akane did that to the Amazons?"

"She also tore the place apart looking for the box. Now that she has it, we have to find her before tomorrow night."

"Why's that?"

"Because then she will finish the spell for the technique and the demon will be in full control of her and with all the power it possesses. The only way to stop her at that point will be to kill her."

Ukyo stared in disbelief, "Damn! Yeah sugar, you can count me in. I'll help ya look for her. We may have been rivals, but I kinda liked her all the same."

Up until now, Nodoka was quiet through the conversation. She picked this time to speak up, "That you are willing to assist a former rival speaks volumes of your true honor Miss Kuonji. Both of our families can't thank you enough for your assistance."

The young chef blushed a bit, "Yeah, well your welcome. Like I said, I like to help my friends, even if we were rivals."

The older woman smiled and reached into her kimono, "I see then I have not made a mistake in my efforts."

"Huh?"

"As I understand, your father originally promised your dowry to my husband in exchange for allowing you to marry my son. Later, instead of taking you along, he abandoned you and took the dowry along with him and Ranma."

Ukyo clenched her fist as she placed the plates in front of her guests, "Yeah, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. The fat slob took off with the cart and abandoned me on the road."

Nodoka nodded, "Of all the crimes my husband has committed, this is one of the vilest and he will someday have to make amends to you for it. When I found about this desecration of our family honor, I paid a visit to your father, Miss Kuonji."

Ukyo's eyes widened, "My…father?"

The older woman smiled, "Yes. He was a rather nice man and showed concern for your well being. Apparently he misses you a lot, Ukyo."

The young woman shook her head, "I can't go back. Not until I have the dowry or revenge."

Nodoka pulled an envelope out of her kimono and handed it to her, "This is an official letter from the head of the Saotome clan addressed personally to you, Miss Kuonji. I would like you to read it please and once you are finished, read the paper attached to the back as well."

Ukyo hesitantly took the letter from Nodoka's hands. The envelope was of a very high quality and perfectly lettered by hand. She swallowed a bit as she ran her finger along the flap and opened it. Reaching inside, she pulled an intricately adorned pair of letters and began reading the top page. After a minute, her hand began to shake and she looked up at the older woman.

"Is this for real? Is this what I think it is?"

Nodoka nodded and pointed to the second letter, "Now read the second."

With her hands shaking the chef placed the top page behind the next one. Moments later her eyes closed tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Nodoka's voice was soft and gentle, "This does not pay for the damage caused to you by my husband. What this does is pay your father back for the loss of his property. He has agreed that after accounting for inflation, this more than covers the loss of your dowry."

Nodoka smiled warmly as she continued, "He has also insisted that the check be given to you to help with your business expenses. As of today, the Saotome clan is no longer in debt with the Kuonji family."

Ukyo sat down heavily on the stool she kept by the stove and dropped the papers on the counter. Nabiki's eyes were wide as saucers as she looked down at the check for two million yen…


	16. Shampoo's Shame

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Shampoo's Shame

_From the last chapter: Nabiki's eyes were wide as saucers as she looked down at the check for two million yen…_

Nabiki picked up the carefully written check and eyed it for a bit before turning her gaze towards Nodoka, "How…how can you…?"

Nodoka chuckled softly as she walked around the counter, "Contrary to what that might imply, I live by a simple means and am not a rich woman. The Saotome clan, however has considerable resources at their disposal and even though they would not allow me to use any of the funds to track down Ranma when he was young, because the honor of both families was tarnished, I was allowed to pay off the debt."

The Saotome matriarch reached down and clasped the young chef's hand, "Remember dear, this only changes the debt of honor between our families. Not only are you free to use that any way you wish, you are also free to take what ever justice you feel is needed out of my husband's hide."

Ukyo looked up at the woman through moist eyes, "I should be happy…I really should. After all these years I can finally build the restaurant I always wanted, and I can face my father again."

The older woman smiled knowingly, "You still want to be with Ranma, don't you?"

Ukyo nodded as her eyes watered up again, "Yes…with the dowry paid now, I don't have a claim on him anymore."

Nodoka nodded, "This is true. Only the Tendo agreement remains intact. Still, that doesn't mean you can't continue to be close friends and still court my son's affections"

Both women suddenly looked up, "Huh?"

She smiled, "Take it easy, you two. What I'm trying to say is Ranma has the right to choose who his wife will be. In the end, he may choose any woman he wishes. While the honor of the two families dictates that he pick a Tendo girl, I will not stand in the way of my son's final choice. I want him to be happy, and that takes precedence over any past agreements."

Ukyo perked up a bit and turned towards Nabiki, "Just tell me one thing Tendo, and tell me truthfully. Do you love him?"

Nabiki smiled for a moment as she rested her chin on her folded hands, "All I ever wanted was to be his friend, Ukyo. But like we've all found out, Ranma kind of grows on you after a while. Before I knew what was happening, I had fallen for him as well. So to answer your question, yes I do love him."

Ukyo swore, "Damn, I didn't expect you to admit it so easily."

"Normally, I wouldn't. But to family and friends, I'll make an exception."

Ukyo raised an eyebrow, "Friends?"

Nabiki smiled as she extended her hand, "He doesn't have very many he can trust, Ukyo. I consider any friend of Ranma's to be a friend of mine."

Ukyo smirked as she cautiously shook the other girl's hand, "What about the Ice Queen?"

"Don't worry about her, she's always here when I need her. It's just that from now on, I only let her out when I'm doing business. I decided a while ago that she gets put away when I'm with my friends and family."

Ukyo laughed, "Alright Sugar, I close up in about 2 hours. Give me till then and I'll start helping you look for her."

Nodoka smiled, "Thank you. We're going to make a quick trip to check on the young Amazon and then I'll be going back to the Tendo house to assist Kasumi with the dinner. If you wish, stop by and say hello. I'm sure you would be most welcome."

Ukyo paused for a moment, "I still have a lot to do here, but I'll see if I can make it."

Nodoka smiled as she bowed politely, "Very well. I hope we will see you again soon, Miss Kuonji."

After Nabiki and Nodoka left the building, Ukyo picked up the check and shook her head. Looking around at her little restaurant, ideas began to form in her mind of the possibilities.

* * *

Outside, Ranma and Genma were arguing once again. The portly martial artist was getting tired of Ranma pretending his mom was near by and Genma wasn't going to fall for it any more. He sat down on a bench and waved his hand at his son, "Listen boy, we've looked everywhere in the shopping district and around the school. Plenty of people have seen her, but no one knows where she went. Let's call it a day and search again tomorrow. I'm bushed."

Ranma folded his arms across his chest and smirked, "Are you sure you want to do that, old man? You know how mom gets when she see's you loafing."

"I'm not falling for that any more, Ranma. She and your new fiancé have probably gone back to the dojo for some of Kasumi's wonderful cooking."

A wicked smile formed on Ranma's lips, "Do you really think Mom would have gone home already? She can be a pretty stubborn woman when she puts her mind to it. You know if she sees you loafing, she's going to skin you alive"

The portly martial artist leaned back in the bench and crossed his legs, "Let me tell you something, Ranma my boy. I'm not falling for any more of your little jokes. I'm going to sit here and take a break and I'm not going to move one inch until I feel rested. I don't care if she was standing behind me right this minute. I've been working all day with you and now I'm going to take it easy for a while."

Ranma smirked, "If you say so, Pop. Hi Mom!"

Genma waved Ranma off, "I'm not falling for your tricks again, boy. You can't expect me to jump every time you mention her name, now can you?"

Ranma just smiled and didn't say anything more. Genma looked at his son's quiet behavior and shivered as if a cold wind had blown right through him. Suddenly a soft voice sounded from behind him, "Hello husband dear. Have you already found Akane?"

The girlish screams of terror that followed were almost comical as the portly martial artist took off running down the street. Nodoka shook her head as Ranma laughed, "Please tell me he hasn't been loafing all day, Son."

Ranma was still laughing, "Actually he's been helping quite a bit. Just needs a little push now and then to get him motivated. Unfortunately, he can run pretty fast when he wants to and I don't think I'm going to find him anytime soon, now that he's taken off."

Nodoka smiled, "It's at a small start if he was at least trying to do his part to find the girl."

"If you say so, Mom."

"I'm glad I found you, son. Nabiki and I were going to see how the young Amazon girl was doing. I need to get home and make a few quick phone calls and it might be better if you and Nabiki went instead."

"Me?"

"Well, yes…. You were her fiancé at one time and at the very least a friend. You and Nabiki should go and visit her for a bit. Dinner will be ready when you finish and after that you can go out and look some more for Akane. We still have all day tomorrow to locate her."

* * *

Ranma and Nabiki said their good bye's and headed off to the hospital while Nodoka made her way towards the Tendo dojo. Not too far from where they parted, in a large mansion, Tatewaki Kuno was looking at himself in a gilded mirror. Striking a dramatic pose, he ran his fingers through his through his hair. He then gave the mirrored image of himself a smile before turning and calling out, "Sasuke!"

The diminutive ninja immediately appeared, "Yes master Kuno?"

Tatewaki raised his bokken and struck another dramatic pose, "Should I wear these, the official family robes of the samurai, or should I wear something else while searching for the fair Akane Tendo?"

Sasuke hesitated for a few moments as if thinking. He normally disliked helping the young Kuno choose his clothing because when Tatewaki came home beaten from a fight, The ninja got blamed for picking the wrong clothes. He was saved from this danger when the door bell chimed in the foyer.

The ninja excused himself and was off in an instant. Tatewaki adjusted his clothes in the mirror for a moment before slowly making his way to greet the guest. The moment he entered the foyer, a young woman suddenly ran to him and clutched him around the waist tightly while she buried her face in his chest and cried emotionally.

"You have to save me, Tatewaki! Please, they're coming for me!"

Tatewaki Kuno was surprised to say the least. Although it has been said many times by more than a few people the boy was dense, he still recognized the short black hair, the soft voice, and most certainly the death grip around his waist. He looked down at the young woman, "Akane Tendo, what is troubling you so?"

Akane looked up with large wet eyes and smiled ever so slightly, "It's terrible…they want to hurt me. All of them are plotting to rob me of my martial arts skills and make me a slave to that pervert, Ranma Saotome. Please Tatewaki…please! You've got to help me!"

Once again, the boy's intelligence failed him. Having forgotten about the possibility the girl was possessed by a dangerous demon, he now concentrated only on the girl's closeness and how nice it felt having her arms around him. Smiling to himself, he wrapped his own arms around her, "There, there. You're safe here. Tell me all about it and I, Tatewaki Kuno, the legendary Blue Thunder will do what ever it takes to assist you."

The corners of Akane's mouth turned up a bit more as she began her tale, "Tatewaki, I have discovered a wondrous power that will finally break the chains that have bound me to Ranma Saotome. Unfortunately, I have not yet completed the final piece of the technique. I need you to protect me, Tatewaki. I need you to protect me from him and his weapons of black magic."

Akane reached up behind the confused boy and placed her hands on four special points on his back, "Help me do this and I will be yours, Tatewaki. Yours to court and date as you wish with no interference."

Tatewaki felt the slight pressure on his back and assumed the girl wished to kiss him, "My dear Akane. I vow to protect you with my very life."

Akane sneered under her breath, "That's all I needed to hear."

With a quickness even Ranma would appreciate, she struck the four points she had been holding on the boy's back. Instantly Tatewaki began to slide to his knees and as he dropped, the Tendo girl moved in and kissed him full on the lips. The kiss only lasted for a second, and then the Kuno boy dropped to the floor and slumped over. Akane placed her hand on the boy's shoulder and hit a final point.

Tatewaki raised his head and smiled adoringly at the young woman before him, "My mistress. What is it you wish of me?"

Hidden within the shadows down the hall, a feminine figure dressed in black stifled a gasp.

* * *

A few blocks away, Ranma and Nabiki had entered the hospital. After checking in with the nurse at the desk, they entered the elevator and took it to the third floor. At the waiting room, they saw Doctor Tofu and greeted him.

Ranma called out, "Hey Doc. How's Shampoo doing?"

The doctor looked up from his papers, "Ah, hello Ranma…Nabiki. She is going to be alright. We got her here in time before she bled too much. She has a two broken ribs, a broken arm and her pelvis is cracked. All that will mend in time, but she also has a bad concussion.

Ranma clenched his fist and swore, "Damn…"

Tofu continued, "She's a very strong woman, Ranma. I have no doubt she will pull through like you did from that gunshot wound."

"That's good to hear, doc."

"Would you two like to see her? Normally only family are allowed to visit, but she has no one right now."

"What about Mousse and the old ghoul?"

"I haven't seen the Amazon boy yet, but Elder Cologne is getting her ankle treated. She sprained it a bit in that fight. She wouldn't let us look at it when she got here, but I have a Chinese colleague here that talked her into letting him check it out for her."

Ranma chuckled, "She's pretty tough for her age."

Tofu smiled as he pointed down the hall, "Third door on the right. If anyone yells at you, tell them elder Cologne and I said it was okay."

"Thanks, Doc."

Ranma and Nabiki walked over the door and entered the room. Separated from the other patients by a curtain, Shampoo could be seen on the nearest bed. Ranma hesitated as he eyed the condition of his blue haired friend. The top of her head had a large white bandage covering her blue hair and her face had several smaller bandages covering what must have been cuts and abrasions. Her right eye was swollen and dark purple in color, her right arm was elevated and in a cast, and her left arm had a pair of tubes attached to it.

Ranma approached the bed cautiously, "Hey Shampoo."

A few seconds had passed before Shampoo opened her eye and focused on the martial artist. She smiled a bit at seeing him, "Ranma visit Shampoo?"

Ranma smiled, "Yeah, the Doc let us in."

The Amazon glared at Nabiki for a moment, "Why Ranma bring mercenary girl? Shampoo only want husband."

Nabiki's eyes flashed for a moment, but quickly softened, "Look Shampoo. I don't want to be your enemy. Ranma still thinks of you as a friend, and I would like to as well."

Shampoo closed her eye, "Shampoo no want to be friend with mercenary girl. Mercenary girl obstacle. Obstac-."

Nabiki interrupted, "Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before and you should know by now I don't take kindly to threats."

Ranma spread his hands apart, "Look, we didn't come her to fight with you, Shampoo. We came to visit and see how you were."

Shampoo's face softened, "Shampoo sorry. Shampoo very upset. Lose face and honor in battle."

Nabiki nodded, "You mean that fight you had with my sister?"

The Amazon lowered her eyes, "Shampoo no take violent girl seriously. Shampoo pay for stupid mistake."

Ranma shook his head, "That may have been true, but in the end she would still have had you beat. That demon has amped her up more than either of us were ready for."

"Make no difference. Shampoo loose. Shampoo fail."

Nabiki crossed her arms, "I don't believe this. And here I thought Amazons were tough."

Shampoo looked over at the middle Tendo, "What mercenary girl mean?"

"What I mean is after all the high and mighty words I've had to listen to about how tough Amazon women are, all I see before me is a young girl wallowing in her own self pity about losing a battle."

A bit of fire glinted in the girl's eyes for a few moments, "Shampoo have nothing now. Shampoo loose husband. Shampoo loose fight with violent girl. Shampoo make bad Amazon Warrior."

Nabiki smirked, "You know, Shampoo…I used to admire you and your sisters. You didn't take any guff from anyone and were willing to fight for what you believe in. You need to realize that you can't go beating yourself up because Akane caught you by surprise. My demon-powered sister beat all of us, even your great grandmother."

Ranma nodded, "Nabiki's right. When I fought her last night it was like hitting armor plate. She's stronger and a lot more skilled. I've fought Cologne and I can tell you that if Akane could beat her as easily as she did, then she could beat you too. It's not your fault, Shampoo. It's the old freak's for stealing the box in the first place. If you want to blame anyone for all this, blame him."

Tofu picked that moment to enter the room, "I'm sorry you two. Your special visiting hours are over now."

Ranma picked up Shampoo's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Hang in there, okay Shampoo?"

Nabiki reached over and placed her hand on top of Ranma's, "Like it or not, Amazon, you're a friend of ours."

Shampoo nodded to them and after the two had left, closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

At the Kuno mansion, another meeting was about to take place, "So brother dear, you've taken this commoner as your mistress…. You do know father would never approve of such a thing."

Tatewaki glared at his sister as she lazily twirled a black ribbon, "My twisted sister, do not interfere here. Be gone from this house and I shall let you live, stay and I will surely kill you."

Kodachi snapped a ribbon just inches from Tatewaki's face, "This is my home too, brother dear. I will fight you if needed to keep what is rightfully mine."

Tatewaki Kuno's eyes blazed as he withdrew the Kuno honor blade from its sheath, "So be it!"


	17. Brother and Sister

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Brother and Sister

_From the last chapter: Tatewaki Kuno's eyes blazed as he withdrew the Kuno honor blade from its sheath, "So be it!"_

Kodachi snickered, "So dear brother, you choose to use the family blade against me.

Tatewaki held the blade in front of him as light glinted from its polished surface, "I do not wish to kill you, my sister. Leave now or face my blade."

The Back Rose raised an eyebrow, "_Face my blade?_"

She narrowed her eyes and pointed at Akane, "I am of your same blood, Tatewaki. This commoner has no right to even be here and yet you protect her as if she were your wife."

The boy's eyes blazed, "I gave you a chance, sister. Now die!"

Tatewaki charged the girl with the blade overhead. Kodachi easily read the move and jumped over her brother while twirling her ribbon around his sword arm. He quickly swapped hands with the blade and sliced the ribbon away. She tossed the now useless ribbon aside, "Well, it seems I have underestimated you, dear brother."

The gymnast began doing cartwheels around her sword welding brother. As she twirled around him, she tossed several spiked clubs at her opponent. Tatewaki was not to be done in by such a tactic and easily deflected each of the clubs to the side. When she stopped, he laughed, "You have forgotten that I know all of your tricks."

"Hohohoho. Not all of them, brother."

Kodachi leaped up and into the air. As Tatewaki followed her movement above, he readied the blade to strike, "_What goes up must come down_."

"Have you have forgotten who I am, Tatewaki. Storm of the Black Rose!"

A sudden flurry of black rose petals engulfed the boy, blocking his view of Kodachi. As he waved his free hand to clear the rose petals she descended and struck him in the head with a vicious kick. Tatewaki staggered momentarily while shaking his head. His eye caught a movement to one side and quickly swung the sword in a vicious slash to the right. The girl sensed the approaching steel and arched her back in mid air, avoiding the blade as it skimmed underneath. As she flipped over backwards, the blade just clipped the back of her calf, causing a streak of blood to splatter the ornate wallpaper.

Kodachi gritted her teeth in pain as she backed up quickly from her brother, "You dare to actually use that blade against me?"

Tatewaki's eyes were cold as he slowly approached his sister, "I gave you fair warning. Leave now, or I will be forced to kill you."

She glared as she limped towards the entrance door, "This is not over, dear brother. You will regret this day, I swear it!"

* * *

Back at the Tendo's Ranma and Nabiki had just returned home and were discussing the day with the rest of the family. Kasumi was nearly finished preparing dinner and Nodoka was having another little talk with her husband, Genma. Soun wisely kept his face to the newspaper while his long time friend endured Nodoka's wrath. Within a few minutes, Kasumi had begun placing dinner on the table.

She called out, "Time for dinner, everyone."

As was now customary, Soun sat at the head of the table while Nodoka and Genma took their place to his right and Ranma and Nabiki sat at his left. Kasumi entered the dining room with the rice cooker and seated herself across from her father. When everyone was seated, Kasumi began to quietly fill the bowls with rice while everyone began to eat dinner. It was a quiet meal for the most part as the family felt uncomfortable eating while the youngest Tendo was still missing.

Soun was on the verge of turning on the waterworks once again, "It just doesn't feel right without my little baby here!"

Kasumi looked up, "Father! Please try and control yourself. We all need each other's strength right now."

Soun looked up sharply at his oldest daughter. She still looked as sweet as ever, but for some reason she seemed…older. The head of the Tendo household swallowed as he thought this over, "Yes, you're right, Kasumi. It's just I'm so worried about her. Here we are sitting here about to eat dinner when she is somewhere out there in the night and all alone."

Nabiki spoke up, "Daddy, we will all be going out to look for her right after we're done eating."

Soun nodded and noted the comfortable closeness Nabiki and Ranma seemed to have with each other. The two of them were calmly eating dinner together with no teasing, arguing, or fighting. Comforted by the sight, he smiled a bit and began to eat.

Ranma ate his dinner quickly but not at the insane speed needed when his father was usually present. Before his mother and the Tendos were halfway finished, he held out his bowl, "That was great, Kasumi!"

The elder daughter blushed slightly, "Why thank you, Ranma. Done already? Would you like some more rice."

Ranma was about to thank her when there was a knock at the door. Kasumi got up, "It looks like we have visitors. I'll get the door."

A few moments later they heard Kasumi gasp, "Oh my. Ranma? Would you come here and give me a hand, please."

Ranma got up and went to help Kasumi and moments later returned carrying a woman in a black leotard. Nabiki jumped up, "Kodachi! What's she doing here?"

As Ranma followed Kasumi to the bath, Ukyo entered the dining room, "I found her crouching in the bushes by the entrance. When I approached her, she jumped up, staggered a bit and fell back down. It was then I noticed the large cut on her calf and I knocked on the door."

Nabiki looked over towards the bath, "Did she say how it happened?"

Ukyo nodded, "It was her own brother. He attacked her with the family blade."

Nabiki shook her head, "Tatewaki's a loon, but he would never attack his own sister like that. There must be a mistake."

The chef shook her head, "Ever since I arrived in this town that idiot has been waving that boken around at Ranma and everyone else. It seems logical enough he'd eventually start waving live steel."

"But his own sister?"

Ranma entered the room, "Kasumi says she'll be okay. The cut looks a lot worse than it is. It isn't deep, it's just long. Might need stitches, so she's going to call the doc."

Ukyo turned towards Ranma, "Did she say anything about what happened?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, something about Akane taking over her brother's will. Sounds a lot like Kodachi got into her own powders if you ask me."

Soun stood up, "At least we know where she is."

Nodoka looked over at her son, "I don't understand. How could she take control of someone?"

An ancient and tired voice answered, "I'm afraid that was partially my fault."

As the Cologne entered the dining room, Nodoka asked, "What do you mean, Elder? There wasn't anything you could have done about this."

Cologne smiled, "I could have been more accurate, child. While I was in the hospital, I contacted the elders in China and found that there was an error in the scroll. It was placed there to prevent anyone from accidently summoning the demon. No one realized that the demon might already know this."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "So what does this mean?"

The old woman sat down next to Nabiki and took a few breaths, "The demon has made its presence known. He not only has given her the strength and power she always dreamed of, but knowledge of the forbidden dark arts as well."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "Dark arts?"

"If what the young Kuno girl said was true, your sister has already learned one forbidden technique, 'Chains of the Mistress'. A truly evil means of putting a spell on a subject that causes them to mentally become the slave of whoever casts it. The Kuno boy believes she is his mistress and will do anything she says, even if it means yours, or his death."

"Whoa."

"It get's worse. As the boy serves her, she rewards him with a highly perverted form of positive ki. This ki will be like a drug to the boy and the longer he is under the spell, the more he will enjoy it. Eventually he will become so addicted to the rush he receives from serving her that he will die if she is taken away from him for even a few minutes."

Nabiki shook her head, "Kuno has some skill with that wooden sword, but even so, Ranma can usually beat him with no problems as long as he doesn't get over confident. I get the feeling there is more to this."

The old woman nodded, "Indeed Miss Tendo. Because he is now enslaved to her, he is also benefiting from the demon's influence. His skill with the sword will continue to increase by several fold."

Nodoka spoke up, "She should be safe in the Kuno estate, especially with the boy guarding her. We can prepare ourselves and hit the mansion in the early morning hours."

Cologne shook her head, "I'm afraid there won't be time for that. I said earlier that there was an error in the scroll. The error was in the timing and was put in place to make sure the caster missed the deadline. Unfortunately the demon knows this and has probably instructed the girl on the correct time for the enchantment."

Ukyo placed both of her hands on the table and leaned forward, "As I understood it, this spell casting was originally set for tomorrow night after midnight. How much time to we have now?"

"She will cast it immediately after midnight, tonight."

Ranma swore, "Crap."

Nabiki placed her hand on his shoulder, "We just have a few hours and none of us knows our way around the Kuno mansion. How are we going to find her?"

"I'll show you."

Kodachi limped up to the table. She was now wearing a pair of dark blue slacks that covered her bandaged leg, "The Kuno estate has several anti personnel systems in place and only Tatewaki and I know their location."

Nodoka turned towards the Kuno girl, "My dear, we do appreciate your help, but are you sure you're up to this? That was a nasty cut we saw you with earlier and I don't want to see you hurt further."

Kodachi chuckled dryly, "Kasumi Tendo is quite skilled in the art of patching people up. Contrary to what you might think of me, I do love my idiot brother. And although I know he would like nothing more than to be the Tendo girl's slave, I can't sit by and let him be consumed by this."

Nabiki eyed the girl for a moment, "Are you feeling okay, Kodachi? You look a bit shaky."

The younger girl looked down a bit, "I have not been around my plants for several hours. Some of the plants I raise produce an addictive powder. I'm afraid I no longer function very well without it."

"Hmm, that does explain a lot."

Ranma chuckled, "Sounds like you need a new hobby."

Kodachi turned to glare at Ranma for a moment as Kasumi walked past with a tray of medical supplies. Just as she neared Ranma, her foot caught on the rice cooker and she stumbled slightly. Before she could catch her balance, the small bowl of water on the tray tipped, splashing Ranma and triggering the curse.

Ranma rolled her eyes, "It never fails. Seems like I can't go a single day without water finding me."

Nabiki gave him a wink, "It could have been a lot worse, Ranma. At least you're really cute like this."

Ranma was about to comment when she heard a high pitched gasp. She turned and saw Kodachi was pointing at her with a shaky finger, "It's you!"

Ranma sighed, "Of course it's me, Kodachi. It's always been me. I'm Ranma."

Kodachi was shaking her head, "No, no, no…this can't be…"

Ranma reached over and grabbed Kodachi's wrist with one hand and picked up a cup of tea with the other, "Listen Kodachi, I've been trying to tell you and that loony brother of yours for months now that I have a curse. I am a boy, but if I get splashed by cold water, I turn into a girl."

Kodachi was still shaking, "Ca-can you turn back?"

Ranma smirked, "Sure. All it takes is hot water."

She turned the cup of tea over her head and triggered the curse once again, "See Kodachi. It's still me."

He was still holding her wrist and she reached out and touched his hand, "Ranma?"

He nodded, "Yep."

"Does that hurt?"

He shook his head, "It used to tingle a bit, but now I hardly feel it."

Kodachi was starting to calm a bit, "How did such a thing happen?"

Ranma pointed to the old woman, "Cologne and my old man will agree with me on this. There are some really bad things in China you never want to visit, Kodachi."

* * *

As Ranma gave Kodachi the shortened version of how he and his father became cursed, across town a bit, another Kuno was walking through the underground catacombs of the family mansion. He approached a massive wooden door with large black iron hinges and knocked. A voice called from the other side instructing him to enter. After Tatewaki entered the room he dropped to one knee before the young woman standing in the room. She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Why have you come here? I instructed you to guard the entrances and keep the others away until I have finished."

Kuno kept his head bowed, "Forgive me, my mistress. I discovered something that might have some importance to you."

He then held out a small black object to her. Akane's smiled as she reached out and grabbed the little black pig, "P-Chan! How in the world did you find him?"

The boy smiled at her happiness, "The piglet was wondering the catacombs. I remember you had such an animal as a pet, Mistress. But I was not sure is this was the same pig."

She smiled and rubbed her hand though the boy's hair, "You have done well, Tatewaki. Please continue with your duties."

Tatewaki stood up and bowed deeply, "As you wish, Mistress."

After the boy had turned and left, Akane held the little pig up to her face, "P-Chan you naughty little pig! I've been so worried about you."

The little pig was a bit confused and 'bweed' softly.

She walked towards the back of the room while holding the little pig next to her chest. When she got to the far side of the room, she opened a large door and entered the next chamber. P-Chan wasn't paying attention to his new surroundings and looked around in confusion as the girl he loved so dearly held him out away from herself by the scruff of the neck. Akane smirked as she let go of the pig over a large tub of hot water, "Bath time!"

After a small splash, the much larger and very naked form of Ryoga Hibiki found himself face to face with the last person he wanted to see. Akane reached out and grabbed him by the hair and pulled him closer, "Well, well…If it isn't Ryoga."

The Lost Boy was in a near state of panic, "I-I can explain-."

Akane smirked, "That you're P-Chan? Oh yes, I'd love to hear it."

Before he had a chance to say anything more, Akane reached around the boy and hit four points on his back.


	18. Under the Kuno Mansion

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ramna ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Under the Kuno Mansion

Kodachi stared at Ranma, wide-eyed, as he quickly finished the story of his curse, "I have heard of many strange things, but none as terrible as that."

Nabiki smiled wickedly as she stroked the side of Ranma's shoulder with the tip of her finger nail, "I don't know, Kodachi…considering how cute she is, it can't be all that bad…."

The Kuno girl shuddered for a moment and then her eyes widened considerably. She began to laugh hysterically and several in the room moved a few steps away. After a few seconds, the girl looked up at the people in the room, "I'm (hee hee hee) sorry. I really am (hee hee). It's just I just realized my brother (hah hah hah)…my masculine pompous brother..."

Nabiki smirked, "Now you see the joke of it all. Kuno's been chasing Ranma since the first day he saw him as a girl. No matter how many times we showed him the curse, he just plain refused to believe it."

Kodachi got herself under a bit more control, "When this is over, I will see to it that brother dear never forgets his love affair with another boy."

Ranma made a face, "Jeesh Kodachi. That sounds so…dirty."

Nodoka frowned, "It certainly doesn't sound very manly of the boy."

Cologne picked that moment to speak up, "As much as I would like to continue this interesting conversation, we have much more pressing things to take care of."

Nodoka nodded, "We have five capable fighters here. Ukyo, Soun, Genma, Ranma, and myself. We should all proceed at once to the Kuno Mansion and stop this before it's too late.

Cologne nodded, "That's a start, but we will need to make changes. Soun is emotionally unstable when it comes to his daughters. I don't think he could stomach the thought of fighting his own daughter in what might well be to the death."

Soun bowed his head, "You're quite right, Elder. I don't think I would be able to stand seeing my dear little Akane being harmed. I will stay here and await your return."

"Thank you, Soun. We also have another potential problem. Ranma was badly injured not too long ago and this fight may well push him to his limits and beyond."

She looked over at Ramna, "So what do you say, sonny boy? Do you honestly think you can take on a demon so soon after your injury?"

Ranma gave her a cocky grin as he held up a fist and cracked his knuckles, "It's like Mom said earlier, the Tendos are family. This demon's got Akane under his power and he's gonna pay for it."

The old woman nodded, "Alright then. We have four fighters. I will protect Kodachi from close attacks and the rest will stay here until we return."

Nabiki shook her head, "I'm coming too."

Cologne glanced over at the middle Tendo, "You're no fighter, my dear, and this is going to be very dangerous. Should the demon or even Akane strike you just once, you may not survive."

Nabiki's eyes flashed, "Sure, I don't have the skills of a martial artist. But I'll tell you what I do have…I'm observant, I see things around me that most people miss, I can read a person by looking at their face, and I'm not afraid to use another person's weaknesses to my advantage."

The old Amazon looked over at Ranma, "What do you think, Sonny?"

Before Ranma could answer, Nabiki slammed her hand on the table, "No you don't!"

Ranma turned towards her, "What?"

"My little sister's under the influence of some nasty demon that may kill her before he can be stopped. My fiancé, his parents and one of my new friends are all about to head out to stop him and you want me to just sit here and wait like a good little girl? Well let me tell you something! I care for these people a great deal and if there is the slightest chance I can do something to help, then there's no way you're going to keep me here while you all go!"

Ranma whispered under his breath, "Nabiki?"

The old woman smiled, "Very well then, Miss Tendo. You will stay with Kodachi and myself. Please try and stay out of trouble."

Nodoka smiled at her son's fiancé with new respect as Cologne continued, "Alright then, lets get our stuff together and make our way to the mansion."

Nabiki quietly reached over and gave Ranma's hand a squeeze before letting go and calling out, "Give me a couple of minutes, I need to grab some stuff before we go."

After Nabiki left, Ranma waited until no one noticed and quietly left up to Nabiki's room. Checking to make sure he wasn't followed, he knocked quietly on the door. Instead of asking him to enter, Nabiki quickly opened the door, grabbed the boy by the shirt, and pulled him inside.

Ranma gasped, "Nabiki?"

She put her hand over his mouth and hissed, "Shhh. I don't want anyone to know you're here. Ranma, we don't have much time, but I have something I need to tell you. I don't know what's going to happen when we get to the Kuno's place, but I have this feeling inside that it's going to be extremely dangerous. I worry about you a lot, Ramna.

"Yeah? Well thanks. It's nice to know you really care."

She moved close to him, pressing herself against his chest, "It's more than that, Ranma and you know it. I lied when I told you that I was falling in love for you."

The boy was becoming a bit confused and answered accordingly, "Huh?"

She grinned evilly, "No dear Ranma, I'm not falling in love with you at all. The fact is, that little incident happened some time ago and I've already been in love with you for quite some time now.

He backed up and pressed himself against the closed door, "Y-you have?"

She closed the distance and placed her face mere inches from his, "Yep, all this time. So before you go off to rescue my sister, I wanted to tell you that, and to give you this."

Before Ranma could move, she closed the distance, snaked her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Ranma's eyes widened for a bit but soon softened as be began to enjoy the experience. After a several long seconds, she ended the kiss and purred, "Promise me you'll be safe and don't do anything stupid, Ranma. I want to continue this later."

Ranma blushed and smiled, "Y-Yeah, sure Nabiki. I'll do that."

She smiled warmly as she opened the door, "Good now get back down there. I'll be down in just a minute.

Moments later, Ranma was back downstairs followed a few seconds later by Nabiki. She was carrying a small tan back pack and Ukyo raised an eyebrow, "We're not going on a camping trip Sugar. What's with the gear?""

Nabiki reached in and pulled out a thermos full of hot water, "You never know, Ukyo. Ramna might need this."

Ranma smiled, "Alright then. Let's go save the tomboy!"

* * *

While they walked over to the Kuno mansion, Akane was sitting on the bed in the subterranean chamber meditating. Although she was still seething at herself for not realizing sooner that Ryoga was P-Chan, she understood that keeping the lost boy under the Chains of the Mistress was to her advantage. Ryoga was one of the few people on earth that had enough brute strength to give Ranma a run for his money in unarmed combat. A slight smile formed on her lips as she recalled the shear panic the lost boy had exhibited when his curse had been discovered.

She chuckled softly at that and drew herself deeper into the meditation, losing touch with the world around her and rejoining the world of her own creation. Images flowed together and in a sudden, colorful flash she was in her bedroom sitting on the edge of her own bed. Akane smiled as she looked around her room. It was no longer what she remembered it to be, it was what she always wanted it to be. Gone were the somewhat drab curtains, the plain bedspread and the old wooden desk. These were replaced with a cute floral print in a light pink and yellow for the curtains, a light yellow bedspread with small animal prints and pink trim, and cute, white desk with matching chair. Throughout the room, all of the things she used to have were replaced with the things she always wanted. The door opened and a beautiful young woman walked in. She wore a beautiful blue silk kimono with white and pink blossoms, and her hair was done up today, instead of laying down her back. The woman spoke in a soft and soothing voice, "_Good morning, Akane. Did you have a good rest_?"

Akane smiled warmly and hugged the woman tightly, "_Yes I did Mother. Thank you_."

The woman turned and looked around the room, "_I see you have made a few changes. Very nice."_

Akane was about to thank her mother when something caught her eye. At the edge of her mothers fingertips she saw a bright sparkle of gold. For a moment the golden sparkle just stayed on her mother's fingertips, but after a few seconds it seemed to hop from one finger to another. Akane's mother seemed to be frozen in place but the sparkling on her fingertips continued to dance about from finger to finger. Akane stood up and looked closely at the sparkling and noticed that her mother's fingers seemed to change for several seconds after the sparkle touched it, turning the fingers into a different texture.

She whispered to herself as she reached out to touch the dancing light, "_Mom?_"

The tiny sparkle suddenly brightened, covering the woman in a bright yellow light. Moments later the light faded, revealing a different woman.

Akane gasped and moved back, "_Who are you?_"

The woman turned towards Akane and smiled. Tears began to form in the woman's eyes and stream down her cheeks as she extended her hand to the Tendo girl. Akane could see and feel the familiarity of the woman and thought she was somehow important. She reached out to touch the woman's extended hand but was stopped when the woman and everything in her imaginary world faded to a foggy grey. Akane clenched her fists and glared as Logan appeared from out of the mists, "_Why have you interrupted me?_"

The demon smiled and bowed slightly, "_Our time is almost up, Akane. _ _We must make the preparations for the final incantation of the spell_."

Akane unclenched her fist and the image faded revealing the drab, dark-grey stonework of her basement bed chamber. She walked over to an antique mirrored dresser and picked up a small, black-enameled box.

* * *

Ranma and the group were close to the Kuno Mansion when Kodachi spoke up, "We will not be able to enter through the front entrance. My brother most likely will have that sealed and the locking mechanism is composed of hardened chrome steel. We're going to have to go in through the back entrance."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "You have a back entrance?"

Kodachi laughed, "Of course. Every home needs an emergency escape exit. You never know who might try to storm in."

Cologne smiled, "That's a good plan, child. But as I recall, isn't your home and all of the entrances and exits booby trapped?"

Kodachi laughed again, "You surprise me, Elder. Yes it very well booby trapped. In fact dear brother has probably released all of the safeties on every trap in the mansion."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow, "If that is so, young lady, how do we get past your traps?"

The girl placed her finger against her temple, "I have my ways, don't worry."

Ukyo laughed nervously, "Yeah, that's what's worrying me."

The mansion was visible a short distance ahead and Kodachi stopped in front of a brick wall. She spread her hands apart and pressed the palms against a pair of bricks. As she did, the bricks rotated and became clear. She kept her hands against the bricks as a sudden green light became visible from with the now glass brick and scanned up and down twice over the girls palm. When it was done, there was a deep clunk and a large doorway formed as a portion of the brick wall pulled back and slid to the side.

As they entered the doorway, Nabiki gave a low whistle, "Now that's cool."

After they had entered the room, Kodachi pressed another brick and the door rumbled back into position. Once the door was in place, the room was bathed in low green light that seemed to be coming from random transparent bricks along the wall.

Kodachi explained, "This room is part of the mansion's defenses. The light you see only came on because I entered. If the door had been forced, the room would have remained dark, and much more dangerous. I will lead until we come to the great chamber up ahead. Everyone needs to be careful, because there are many dangers here that were installed to kill those attempting to break in."

Ukyo raised an eyebrow, "Kill?"

"Yes, my dear father designed these defenses and as you well know from your own school, he is quite insane."

Ramna pointed over towards a door, "What now? Do we go through that doorway?"

"Yes, but before we do, I need to show you something."

They walked over to the doorway and Kodachi held out her arm up to block her companions, "Just to show you how dangerous this place can be, observe what happens when I toss this rose down the corridor."

Kodachi tossed the rose through the doorway and immediately there was a flash of steel as a half dozen massive blades suddenly sliced through the hallway shattering the rose.

Kodachi pressed another brick and pointed at the rose, "Those blades are very thin and yet weigh a hundred kilos each. Had you tripped them with your own body, they would have sliced you up like a loaf of bread."

Nabiki swallowed, "Point well taken, Kodachi."

She led them through another pair of corridors and each time disarmed the trap down before anyone went further. After the third trap they came to a tee intersection and Nodoka pointed down one hall, "Which one do we take now, Miss. Kuno?"

Kodachi smiled as she reached for another brick and pressed, "Neither. Those two paths lead to more booby traps with no means of escape."

There was a low rumble as the bricks moved aside and revealed another corridor, "This, however leads directly to one of the main chambers and bypasses all of the traps."

True to her words, the corridor emptied out into a large storeroom with an arched ceiling. Stacks of boxed goods lined the walls and even a pair of large wine kegs could be seen in one corner. Ranma smiled, "Jeesh Kodachi. This looks like something out of a European castle or something."

Kodachi didn't have time to answer as another figure had just entered the room. Dressed in black robes Tatewaki Kuno walked slowly with the family blade drawn, "Foul creatures! Dare thee sneak into the Kuno stronghold? Did ye think I would not sense thy vile presence? I shall strike thee down and throw thy filthy remains into the lower sewers for the rats and vermin to feed upon."

Kodachi spoke up, "Brother. Do you intend to kill me as well?"

He pointed his sword at the girl, "I told thee not to return, sister. Since thou has seen fit to be a part of this mangy band of vile savages, thy fate shall be as theirs."

Ramna pointed, "Don't be a idiot, Kuno! Put that sword down so we can save Akane."

As the Kuno boy charged he bellowed with rage, "Do not speak of the Mistress!"


	19. Battle Beneath the Mansion

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Battle Beneath the Mansion

_From the last chapter: Ranma pointed, "Don't be a idiot, Kuno! Put that sword down so we can save Akane."_

_As the Kuno boy charged he bellowed with rage, "Do not speak of the Mistress!"_

Ranma was the first to react to Kuno's charge. Giving the boy a visible target he moved off to one side and taunted the insane kendoist with a smirk, "Hey, what's the matter, Kuno? Afraid we'll find about your little love affair?"

Tatewaki said nothing but with surprising speed, moved to within striking range. Steel flashed as the Kuno boy quickly sliced the air with a skill Ranma had not seen before. No longer acting as the laughable buffoon, Kuno moved skillfully with cold, deadly eyes as he pressed the attack. Tatewaki was no longer tied to the strict code of kendo, but was instead using the katana as a means to kill his opponent. Slicing diagonally, the insane swordsman spun and swung the blade across in an attempt to cut Ranma open. Before Ranma could recover, Kuno spun the blade and swung forcing Ranma to dodge again. As he fought to stay clear of the deadly blade, Ranma began to realize this was no ordinary fight. One particularly wicked strike cut through his pants leg, missing the skin by less than centimeter.

Ranma sensed the blade rushing past so close to his skin and blinked, "_Damn! That was too close. I gotta break his concentration_."

Everywhere he moved, the blade sliced through vulnerable openings keeping Ranma on the defensive. Nodoka turned towards Cologne as she drew her own blade, "I can't stand by and watch this any longer, Elder. That boy is getting through my son's defenses!"

Before Cologne could comment, there was a blur of white as the Saotome matriarch leaped into the fight. With her sword already drawn she landed in the fray, deflecting the blade from its intended target. Sparks flew as the two blades ground against each other, spinning off to one side, only to sing as the combatants struck again. The Kuno boy had stopped concentrating on Ranma and had switched all of his attention to his new adversary. No longer on the offensive, Kuno found himself unable to approach his intended target and was now forced to protect his own life from the woman's blade. As Nodoka continued to block the attacks, frustration within Kuno built into a mad rage.

As Kuno again struck with an overhand attack, Nodoka intercepted the blade with her own and pressed herself close to the boy. Steel rang out sharply as the blades locked between them and for a moment Kuno's eyes softened, "You are truly a worthy adversary. As beautiful as you are deadly. I do not wish to harm you, but I must do as I am commanded."

Nodoka's eyes flashed like steel before she smiled, "We must all do as destiny commands, dearie. Bring it on!"

Kuno's eyes widened as she shoved him back and moved into a much more aggressive stance. Tatewaki had just enough time to react as the woman went on the offensive, leaping towards him and rapidly striking with her blade. Steel flashed and sparks flew as the two combatants swiftly sliced the air with their katanas, moving ever closer to drawing blood.

Cologne turned to Nabiki and Ukyo for a moment, "This has become a dance of steel… Unless something is done to stop it, one of those two could be killed."

Ukyo turned towards the old woman, "Are you saying this fight is to the death?"

"Unless someone or something stops the fight, it will probably end so."

Nabiki stared as she placed her hand over her mouth, "Mom…"

As the sound of steel sang through the air, Genma turned towards Nabiki, "She's adjusting, changing her tactics as the boy changes his. She wants to beat him, but not kill him. You will see today why I respect and fear my wife and her blade."

Cologne glared at Genma, "Perhaps so, but we are running out of time, Saotome. This fight needs to end soon."

Before the elder Saotome could answer, the far door exploded in a cloud of splinters. A young man appeared out of the dust and stared at the group for a moment. He wore black pants and a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off. Around his head he wore a yellow polka dotted bandanna.

Ranma approached his long time rival, "Hey Ryoga, you're just in time. Give me a hand with Kuno over there and we can go save Akane before it's too late."

Ryoga said nothing until Ranma was close, then without warning, punched him squarely in the chest. The powerful blow sent Ranma flying back into a pillar, nearly breaking it loose. The lost boy slowly approached Ranma while cracking his knuckles, "What makes you think I want help you stop the Mistress, Ranma. For too long I have stood by while you abused her. Now, thanks to her power and kindness, I have the means to finally kill you once and for all."

Ranma was still shaking the cobwebs out of his head when Ryoga punched him in the stomach, again slamming him into the pillar. Dust fell from the ceiling as mortar and brick loosened from the impact.

Ukyo had her battle spatula ready, "Hey, Jackass! You're going to bring the whole roof down on us!

Ryoga turned towards Ukyo and gave her a grim smile, "If it stops you from reaching the Mistress, then I've done my job."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She swung her weapon with the intent of knocking the lost boy out and ending the fight, but when the spatula impacted the boy's head, there was a loud 'tong!' as the metal bent around his head. Much to Ukyo's surprise, he casually reached up and pulled the sheet metal off with his bare hands. Smirking as he crushed the remains into a small ball, he gave Ukyo a deadly glare, "You're far too predictable, Ukyo. Once I've taken care of Ranma, it will be your turn."

Before he could say or do anything more, the lost boy was hit hard in the stomach, chest and face by a triple combination as Ranma slammed him with rapid fire punches, "Not if I can help it, pig boy!"

As the boy staggered back, Ranma leaped up and kicked him several times directly in the chest. Ryoga shook his head just before Ranma pressed the attack with his 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire' assault. Unlike his fight with Akane, Ranma was using all of his speed and strength against the lost boy. Although Ryoga was more than strong enough to take the punishment, the onslaught of so many punches per second began to take their toll. Suddenly Ranma stopped and before Ryoga could get his bearings, he was hit squarely in the chest by a powerful punch. Ryoga slammed into the far wall of the chamber hard enough to knock a half dozen bricks to the floor. For a moment he seemed to be down for the count, but like a stubborn mule, he stood up and glared at Ranma.

Ryoga casually brushed the dust off his arms, "Heh. That wasn't too bad, Ranma. I think I might have felt something from that last hit. Unfortunately, playtime's over now and it's time for you to die."

The lost boy leaped towards Ranma and the two began to trade punches at high speed. The air filled with loud thuds as the two struck and blocked powerful blows that would have killed a normal person.

Nodoka, in the mean time was continuing her fight with Tatewaki. She had seen Ryoga enter the chamber and as much as she wanted to help her son, continued to keep the Kuno boy at bay. She knew also that sooner or later, she would have to extract blood. The boy was far too skilled with the blade to released against the others.

Cologne could see this as well, and turned towards Nabiki, "This is not good, Miss Tendo. We are running out of time and unless the boy can be subdued, she will be forced to deal a mortal blow to the fool."

Nabiki thought for a moment before she smiled evilly. She leaned over and whispered into the old Amazon's ear. Cologne's eyes widened and she cackled, "You don't say?"

As Nodoka deflected Kuno's blade yet again, Cologne yelled, "Nodoka! The boy's still a virgin!"

Nodoka raised an eyebrow and laughed to herself as she dodged the boy's strike. Turning, she deflected his sword and allowed the boy to spin. As he came around, she moved within his reach and jammed her sword into the ground catching his arm and sword behind him. The boy's head continued to turn and his eyes widened to find her within inches of his face. Before he could react, she pulled him close with her free arm and kissed him full on the lips.

Kuno's first reaction was of shock. His eyes widened and for a few moments he squirmed in protest. But Nodoka's hold was extremely tight and with his arm caught behind him with her sword, there was no where to go. He soon became aware of the woman's close presence, her soft lips, and rising warmth. All too soon, she released the boy and took a small step back.

While he staggered with his arms hanging loosely at his sides, she smiled seductively and purred, "Was that too much for you?"

Tatewaki didn't have time to answer the question. From off to his right a large fist suddenly slammed into his face, knocking him out cold. Genma glared at the unconscious boy for a moment before turning to his wife. He smiled with a bit of pride, "It's good to see you're still a master of Anything Goes."

As Genma turned towards the far wall, she returned the smile with an affection she hadn't felt in many years. She raised an eyebrow, though, as she noticed him reaching for one of the wooden wine kegs, "Husband, this is no time to be drinking!"

He smiled back as he lifted one of the smaller kegs over his head, "I'm not going to drink it, No-chan. I'm going to end this fight!"

Genma ran towards the fighting pair and stopped when he was within range. The two fighters were trading punches at a rapid rate when Ryoga got in a particularly hard punch and sent Ranma slamming against the far wall. The moment the two were separated, Genma tossed the wooden keg at Ryoga. The Lost Boy sensed the keg and turned just in time to see it within a meter of his face. Instead of dodging the keg, he struck it with his fist. The keg exploded on impact, covering Ryoga with cool wine and triggering his curse.

Where there was once a raging young man, there now stood a little black pig. Ryoga squealed and charged towards Ranma, not realizing the curse had been triggered. As he leapt up, Ranma reached out and grabbed the little pig by the scruff of the neck. He walked over towards his mother and father and smiled, "Nice work. Kuno's out cold and the pig's not going to do us any harm like this."

Nabiki glared at the pig, "He's pretty resourceful. Even though he gets lost, he might find some hot water and become trouble again."

Cologne reached over and hit the pig on a nerve point causing it to become limp, "He can't do anything if he's asleep. That should keep him out for the next hour while we take care of the demon."

She pointed towards the doorway, "Alright now, no more delays! We have to hurry!"

Nodoka reached for her Kimono, "Just a second Elder. The boy sliced up my clothing and I need to fix it."

Before anyone could speak, she undid the kimono and let it drop to the ground. Much to everyone's surprise, Nodoka was wearing a pair of loose fitting white pants and white long sleeved blouse. She adjusted the pants before taking her katana and slinging the sheath over her shoulder. Not giving it a second though, she reached down to Tatewaki and removed the sheath he was carrying. She then took his sword and after giving it a quick look, slid it into the sheath and tied it over her other shoulder. After crossing the sheaths across her back and securing the tips of them to her waist, she reached over her shoulder with both hands and quickly pulled the katanas out. She twirled them at her side like a pair of buzz saws before slipping them back over her shoulder and into their sheaths.

She smiled and walked towards the group, "Alright, I'm ready."

Ranma just stared, "Whoa."

Nabiki leaned over and whispered, "Your Mom's starting to scare me, Ranma."

He leaned close, "Yeah, remind me to never get on her bad side."

Kodachi walked towards the ruined door, "It isn't very far to the main chambers. All we need to do is go through that corridor and then head up the stairs. From there, we will be at the same level as the underground living chambers. Because they're the most secure place in the mansion, she's probably there."

* * *

As they made their way towards her, Akane was preparing her own destiny. She had long ago memorized the process and had the candles ready to proceed with the final step that would give her the ultimate in martial arts power. She glanced at the clock on the dresser and noted it now read 11:59. Reaching in front of her, she undid her robe and walked over to the old wooden table where she had placed the three candles. Taking one of them, she carefully lit it and when enough of the wax had melted, let it drip on the spot below and between her breasts. Hissing through her teeth at the sudden heat, she whispered the incantation and rubbed the wax with her finger until it was no longer visible. She repeated the process with the other two candles, carefully dripping them on their respective places below her collar bones.

The moment she was finished, there was a soft bluish flash as she was transported to her imaginary room. Bright and beautiful, it was everything she ever wanted. Birds could be heard singing outside the window and the rays of the sun were warm and comforting as they lit up the room. The door opened and Kimiko walked in, more beautiful than every before, she glided to Akane and gave her a warm embrace.

After a moment, the woman smiled with loving eyes, _"I am so proud of you, daughter. Now we can be together forever."_

Akane cried into her mother's kimono, far too emotionally drained to realize what 'forever' might actually mean.

* * *

Downstairs one level, the group was standing before a steel door. Kodachi was attempting to unlock the door but was having no luck. She swore, "Something's wrong here! The latch is released, but the keyed mechanism for the deadbolt still seems to be locked."

Ukyo bent over a bit to look at the lock, "Is there a way to get it open without a key?"

Kodachi shook her head, "No. If the deadbolt has been latched, the only way to unlock it is with the key."

"Do you think your brother has it?"

"It's possible but it will take time to run back down to him."

Nabiki moved towards the door, "Here, let me take a look."

She kneeled before the door and took a look at the keyway for a moment. Reaching around behind her, she removed the backpack she had been carrying and pulled out a small pack. She untied the pack and unrolled a set of small tools and a tiny flashlight. She handed the flashlight to Ukyo, "Here, shine this on the keyhole, will you?"

Ukyo's eyes widened, "Are those lock picks?"

Nabiki smirked for a moment, "Indeed they are."

Ukyo questioned, "Why in the world would you need those things?"

Nabiki began to work the tools in the lock, "Let's just say they come in handy and leave it at that, okay?"

There were several small clicks as she worked the key slot and in less five minutes, she smiled and gave the keyway a twist. The lock gave an audible click as the deadbolt slid away, allowing the door to swing open. Nabiki smiled as she packed up the tool pouch and placed it in her pack, "It's nice to see I haven't lost my touch."

Kodachi pointed down the hallway, "The bed chamber is on the first door on the left."

Ranma was the first to reach the door and after quickly entering, came back out and shrugged, "She's not here. Some of her clothes are laying on the bed, but she's not here."

Nodoka pointed down the hall, "One of the other roo-."

She was interrupted by a loud bang from above that shook the chamber with enough force to fill the corridor with falling dust. Ranma grabbed Nabiki by the hand, "That doesn't sound good, we gotta get out of here."

Kodachi headed towards a door, "Follow me, this leads directly to the gardens."

This time the door wasn't locked and they quickly entered and climbed the short stairway to the top. They found themselves standing under a garden patio with the Kuno family gardens spread out before them. Nodoka smiled, "Nice garden."

Cologne hopped up onto a table and pointed, "I'm afraid it won't be looking nice for long. We're too late!"

Ukyo swore, "Oh crap…."

Across the garden nearly 30 meters away stood a vulgar monstrosity of a creature. At nearly three meters in height, it dwarfed an adult human in both size and power. Its dark greenish black skin, huge hooved feet, massive legs, and muscled arms and chest gave no doubt of the creature's immense strength. But it was the hideous head with its huge ooze-dripping fangs, glowing red eyes, and long demonic horns that made everyone's blood run cold. The demon hefted a giant double edged axe with a head the size of a motorcycle and taunted them in a low, evil sounding laugh as it pointed a clawed finger at the group. "You're too late, mortals. The girl is mine now, and you are all dead."

The demon sneered as a fluorescent green coil of energy snaked out from behind it. Less than three meters long, the glowing cable ended in a sickly green ball of pulsing energy. Within the suspended globe, Akane Tendo could clearly be seen.


	20. Demon Battle

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Demon Battle

_From the last chapter: The demon sneered as a fluorescent green coil of energy snaked out from behind it. Less than three meters long, the glowing cable ended in a sickly green ball of pulsing energy. Within the suspended globe, Akane Tendo could clearly be seen._

Nabiki stared, "There's something you don't see every day."

Cologne turned towards the group, "The demon's strength comes from the Tendo girl. It's drawing that strength through that energy umbilical. As long as it can tap into that power, it's nearly invincible. Sever that link, and the demon can be destroyed."

Ranma looked to the demon for a second, "How do we do that?"

"Ranma, you have the most power. You hit the demon hard and keep it occupied. Use your ki attacks and any other thing you can think of. Nodoka, if what I suspect is true, only you have the ability to sever that link. Attack the demon the same as Ranma, but concentrate on that link when you see the opportunity."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Elder?"

The old woman cackled, "I've suspected something about you for some time now, child, and that little display down below clinched it. Just do what you know you must."

Ukyo pointed at Kodachi, "What of the rest of us, I don't have my battle spatula and I'm not that good at hand to hand."

Kodachi turned and opened a small cabinet, "As it so happens, my brother and I did some of our training within these gardens. I don't have any large cooking utensils, but I do have some simple martial arts tools."

Ukyo reached in the cabinet and grabbed a staff, "This might do. I learned with this before I switched to the battle spatula."

Kodachi grabbed a ribbon and some clubs, "This will do nicely. Alright Elder, we're ready as well."

Cologne gave them a quick look, "You two are going to be very vulnerable out there. Attack quick and move back out of range. Remember you won't be able to stand a full powered hit from that thing."

She then turned to Genma, "Mr. Saotome, I know of your abilities and I want to keep you in reserve. If one of those fighters goes down, bring them back here and behind me."

The elder Saotome nodded and Nabiki spoke up, "What of me?"

The old woman smirked, "Stay behind me and stay out of sight, girl."

Ranma turned towards the demon, "Alright. Let's do this!"

As the four began to approach the demon, he laughed, "Well now, it took you long enough, boy!"

Ranma pointed towards the demon, "What's the matter, chuckles? Getting impatient for your ass kicking?"

The demon's eyes glowed for a bit as it growled, "I'm going to enjoy crushing you!"

The demon roared and charged with the axe raised over its head. Ranma jumped up and fired a ki blast directly towards the demon's face. The creature shook its head and swung the axe towards Ranma, only to have it deflected as the boy kicked himself away from the weapon and landed lightly on the ground. Nodoka was already airborne in a high leap with both katanas drawn. The beast saw her approaching and attempted to swat her away with its fist. Suddenly the swords were moving in a blur that nearly obscuring her from view. The demon swung to strike the woman but yelled in pain as the fast moving katanas sliced into its hand. She landed on the ground and smirked at the demon's discomfort.

The demon glared at the pair, "Cute, but playtime's over!"

It spun the axe for a moment then aimed it at the pair, releasing a huge energy blast. Ranma and Nodoka just missed the green flash as they leaped away. As the demon began to recharge the weapon, Ranma jumped up and hit it with several ki blasts to the face and eyes. Nodoka saw the opportunity to hit the energy umbilical and leaped up into the air. As she came down she raised both katanas over her head and stuck. Lightning flashed brightly as she was blown back several yards.

Nabiki gasped, "It did nothing! Other than that discharge, the umbilical is still intact."

Genma smiled, "They're both searching for weaknesses. We now know the creature can feel pain, we just need to exploit it."

As the attack continued, Cologne shook her head, "Those two are a lot alike. Both of them have so much more power, and yet they escalate the attacks a bit at a time.

* * *

Within the ball of energy, Akane was content and happy. She saw nothing of the conflict nearby, but was completely immersed within her own dream world. She smiled as she sat with her mother and chatted aimlessly about the events of her life. As Akane described the problems at school, she noticed her mother was not responding any more. Fearful for her safety, she reached out and touched the woman's arm. As had happened once before, her mother began to sparkle with a golden light. The sparkling flashed briefly for a moment, revealing not the image of her mother, but someone else.

Akane jumped up from the bed, "_Who are you? What have you done to my mother?_"

The image seemed to take a few seconds to sharpen into focus. After a moment the woman smiled as she sat down on the edge of the bed, "_It is good to see you again, Akane-chan_."

Akane's eyes widened at the familiar voice, "_Kasumi? Is that you?_"

She chuckled softly, "_No, my dear. Although Kasumi-chan has grown to look a lot like me, your older sister is still safely at home._"

Akane shook her head, "_I don't understand._"

The woman smiled as she folded her hands together, "_When you were only three years old, you were separated from your family while they went to view the blooming cherry trees in the park. Your mother found you sitting on the edge of the pond, watching the blossoms land in the water._"

"_Huh?_"

"_When you were four years old, you skinned your knee in the back yard playing. You came into the house crying to your mother and she placed your special Hello Kitty bandages on the wound while she comforted you and said you were her brave little girl_."

"_How could you know that?_"

"_And when you were five, your father made three little duck shapes out of wood. Before they were placed on your bedroom doors, your mother hand painted on each of them in English, the names of Kasumi, Nabiki, and you._"

Akane's voice was shaking, "_O-only my mother would know that. Who are you?_"

The woman chuckled for a moment, "_That should be obvious, Akane-chan. I am Kimiko Tendo, your true mother_."

* * *

Back outside, the battle continued to rage. Although Ranma's ki blasts and hits to the face were doing little damage to the demon, they were certainly angering it. As the boy prepared another attack, the demon saw an opening and swung the axe. The face of the weapon caught Ranma square across the side and threw him to the other end of the garden. He shook his head before heading back into the fight while Cologne yelled out, "Quit playing around, Ranma. It's time to get serious!"

Cologne glared at Genma, "I don't know where the boy gets that, but if he doesn't start using his full potential soon, he's going to get killed. It's only by fool luck the demon hit him with the face of that axe and not the blade."

Genma crossed his arms, "It's part of Anything Goes Martial Arts. The boy's learning the demon's weaknesses before committing to a particular attack."

The old woman turned her gaze back to the fight, "Well he better hurry. Another hit like that and he'll be out of the fight for good.

When Ranma was knocked back, Ukyo and Kodachi used the opportunity to launch their own attacks. Kodachi threw a pair of clubs towards the demon's face while Ukyo spun the staff and aimed for the demon's shins. When the clubs struck the demon, they exploded in a orange tinted gas. At that moment, Ukyo struck the beast's shins. With a roar it took a step back and waved the axe at the two. Glaring down at the two girls, it raised the axe over its head, "Insignificant insects!"

The demon brought the axe down hard, but before it was half way in down, the weapon was deflected by a white ki blast. The motion of the axe forced the demon to take a step to the side to steady itself while Ranma taunted, "You need to go on a diet, fat-boy! You nearly fell on your face that time!"

* * *

Akane shook her head, "_You can't be my mother. I know what my mother looked like. She was beautiful and kind and loving…_"

The woman clasped her hands together, "_It is true that a mother is part of those things, daughter. But a mother is also there to help and stop her children from making a terrible mistake._"

"_What do you mean, mistake?_"

She looked at Akane for a moment, "_The person you know of as Logan is not what you think he is. He has allowed you to create this fantasy world and has now imprisoned you here. While you are trapped here, he steals your very life force from you, and uses it to destroy the ones you love and care for._"

Akane turned her back to the woman, "_Lies!_"

Kimiko stood up and moved in front of Akane, "_If you think that is so, prove it to yourself, child. This is the world inside your mind. Wish it to clear and open your eyes. You will then see if I am lying to you or not_."

Akane glared at the woman for a moment before closing her eyes. A few seconds passed before she opened them again. She fully expected to still be in her room, but instead found herself suspended in a garden in the middle of a great battle. Ranma, Nodoka, Ukyo, and even Kodachi were fighting a great beast. She gasped at the monstrous creature, "_What the hell is that_?"

The woman's voice was firm in the girl's ear. "_That is a demon of great power. It is Logan's true form._"

* * *

Nodoka noticed a change in the sphere holding Akane and called out, "Ranma, I think the link is weakening. Distract it from me!"

Ranma nodded and leaped up, at the monster's head. Firing off one after another ki blasts, the demon roared as it fought back. When she was satisfied the demon was no longer interested in her, Nodoka stood up straight with her arms extended downwards at an angle and the tips of the blades just above the soil. Slowly at first, yellow energy began to collect at the tips of the swords. Snaking along the length of the blades, the energy force climbed up until both katanas were completely engulfed. Nodoka raised the blades until they were parallel with the ground then slammed them together. A bright flash engulfed her for a moment as the two blades made contact. As electric arcs of violet energy pulsed along its length, She raised the blade over her head. No longer a pair of ordinary katanas, the once sleek blades had been transformed into a single sword of electric energy.

The demon glared at the woman for a moment but was forced to turn away as Ranma continued to pound at it. Nodoka leaped into the air and somersaulted. After the second time over, she extended herself and struck the umbilical with all her strength. The blade roared with energy and thick bolts of violet electric current raged along the length of the cable. Nodoka's hair blew back from her head as the powerful ki forces within her and the blade fought against the demonic power keeping the umbilical intact. A sudden green flash enveloped the woman and she was thrown free, across the gardens and towards Cologne. She landed on her feet and smirked at the old woman before leaping back into the battle.

The Amazon smiled, "I've suspected that for some time now…."

* * *

Akane flinched and tried to duck as the energy from Nodoka's attack exploded around her, "_I can hardly move! It feels like my arms are tied to my sides!_"

The woman stepped in front of her, "_This is a prison, Akane. As long as that cable exists, you are trapped here and that demon is invincible. Nodoka is a powerful master of the sword, but will not be able to sever that cable alone. Only you have the power to help her._"

Akane turned sharply, "_Me? What can I do? I'm trapped here._"

Kimiko smiled, "_That is true, but your mind is always free, Akane. You've already seen what you can create with your mind in this world. Do you remember the place Logan took you to remove the chains? The ones he said were placed by the Amazon and Doctor Tofu?_"

Akane nodded, "_Yes._"

"_Good. Close your eyes and concentrate on that place within yourself, daughter. Imagine it in your mind and will yourself there._"

Akane closed her eyes and thought of the grey foggy place Logan had taken her to. When she opened her eyes, she was once again standing where the circle of chains had been. The old chains had been replaced by a pulsating beam of greenish energy so bright, even in her mind she was forced to squint. Kimiko yelled over the roar of surging energy, "_This is how the demon drains your soul, daughter. Sever this link, and Logan can be killed._"

Akane shook her head, "_How in the world can I do that?_"

"_This is your world, your mind. Do exactly as you did before._"

Akane turned towards the storm of energy. Her hair stood on end from the electricity as she closed her eyes and concentrated. She smiled to herself as a familiar feeling came over her.

* * *

Outside, Ranma continued to fight. He had noticed the globe change from clear to a foggy grey but paid it little attention. Twice the demon had attempted to strike him with the axe and both times, the boy had escaped by thin margins. Relieved to find his mother unharmed from the electrical surge, he continued his barrage of ki and fist attacks at the demon's arms, chest and face. Nodoka charged the demon with the lightening blade, and swung across the demon's midsection. Before the blade made contact, the demon blocked the attack with the axe. Nodoka brought the sword around and struck hard at the demon's wrist, cutting it clean through.

Genma cheered as the axe fell to the ground, "Yes! We'll beat this thing yet!"

The demon bellowed and glared at stump of its wrist. Turning towards Nodoka it smirked, "It won't do you any good, woman."

Slimy tendrils of flesh began to ooze out of the wound. Joining together, they twisted and combined with each other until, much to Nodoka's amazement, a new hand appeared. The demon flexed the new appendage and picked up the axe, "You see, it's no use fighting me. Nothing you do can cause me harm."

It aimed the axe at Ranma and quickly fired a barrage of ki attacks of its own. One of the greenish balls of energy caught the boy and threw him across the garden.

Nabiki completely forgot about her safety as she ran out into the open, "Ranma!"

Cologne yelled out, "Girl! I can't protect you out there!"

Nabiki wasn't listening as she knelt by the boy, "Ranma? Are you okay?"

Ranma shook his head for a second, "I'm okay. He just got in a lucky shot."

Nabiki breathed a sigh of relief as the boy stood up and pointed over to where Cologne was, "It's too dangerous out here in the open, Nabiki. Go back over by Cologne."

She reached over and grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze before running back to the others. Ranma suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and rolled over to the side as three green balls of energy flew past him. Realizing who they were intended for, he yelled Nabiki's name just as one struck her in the shoulder. The force of the blast spun her around and she fell to the ground in a boneless heap. Ranma was at her side in an instant.

"Nabiki? Can you hear me?"

He picked up her hand as Cologne and Genma reached their side. Cologne pressed her fingers up to her neck and nodded, "She's alive, Ranma. Most likely just got the wind knocked of her. It's a good thing it only hit her shoulder."

Genma gently picked up the girl, "We'll take care of her, boy. You take care of that demon."

Ranma reached over and brushed a few hairs away from Nabiki's forehead before glaring at the demon. Turning he walked towards it and yelled, "You know, up until now, I was kind of enjoying this. You were giving me a fairly good workout. But now you went and hurt my fiancé, and for that you're gonna pay!"

The demon sneered, "What's the matter, boy? Did I hurt your little slut?"

Ranma's hands glowed as a bright orange ball of energy formed between them. He slammed the heels of his hands together and the ball streaked forward, striking the demon in the stomach. A huge blast erupted from where the demon stood and dissipated outward in dome of expanding energy as Ranma prepared another strike.

Ukyo and Kodachi ducked under a bush, "Sugar, we are way out of our league here!"

* * *

Akane concentrated as the energy flow continued to shrink.

* * *

As Ranma hammered the demon, Nodoka raised the sword above her head and leaped up into the air into another summersault. When she was at just the right position, she extended and slammed the blade into the umbilical. Violet and green ropes of electricity mixed and intertwined up the umbilical and danced across the demon, blistering its skin and causing it to bellow in pain. Nodoka was once again buffeted by the raging energy force as the blade began to work its way through. While the demon roared within a dome of intense electric arcs, Ranma built up another sphere of high powered ki. The ball was almost too large to contain when he released it, squinting his eyes as the energy struck the demon directly in the chest and exploded in a massive fireball of expanding energy. The demon roared as it stepped out of the dissipating fireball and fell to its knees. It shook a fist at Ranma and glared, "You've won this round, boy. But there will be another day, and I will have my…revenge…."

Green and blue arcs of electricity rose up around the demon, completely enveloping the beast. As quickly as it had appeared, the energy faded to nothing taking the demon with it.

Checking on his mother, Ranma saw her standing over by Akane.

Nodoka brushed herself off and smiled as she knelt down, "Hello Akane, dear. Welcome back to the living."

Akane propped herself up and attempted to sit, "What happened? Is it gone?"

Ranma appeared behind Nodoka, "Mom! Are you okay? Is Akane okay?"

Nodoka nodded as she checked the girl, "That blast singed my clothing a bit, but I'm okay, son. Akane looks a bit shaken up and might need some medical attention. We should get her to a hospital and have her checked."

Ranma nodded, "Okay. First I gotta take care of Nabiki. The bastard hit her pretty hard."

He ran over to where Cologne was and knelt by Nabiki. She was stirring but not awake and he gently picked her up in his arms. He turned and smiled at Cologne, "Thanks for taking care of her. I'm going to take her to the hospital. Akane looks alright but she's pretty drained. She might need to see a doc as well."

Cologne turned towards Genma, "It looks like you volunteered, Saotome."

She turned to comment to Ranma but the boy was already gone.


	21. Aftermath

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters and stories associated with it.)

Aftermath

The hospital was close to the Kuno estate and Ranma was able to get Nabiki to medical attention faster than if an ambulance had been called. Genma arrived a couple of minutes later with Akane and after answering a few questions from the nurses, sat down in the waiting room with his son.

After a few tense moments, the elder Saotome spoke up, "I'll have a talk with your mom and see if she'll switch the engagement back to Akane. I know you've been feeling bad about it and now that the demon's gone from her, you and the girl can get back together."

Ranma glared at his father for a moment before answering, "No."

Genma snapped his head around, "What do you mean, no?"

Ranma clenched his fists slightly as he stared at his father, "It's just what I said, Pops…No! Nabiki's my fiancé now and that's the way it's gonna stay."

Genma shook his head, "Don't be a fool, boy. Akane's the girl for you. It's already been planned out and-."

The elder Saotome suddenly found himself unable to talk because Ranma was now in his face with his hands gripping the man's gi. In a voice that was low and dangerous he growled, "What did you say, old man?"

Realizing he had revealed too much, Genma stuttered, "It w-was always the plan for you to marry, Akane."

Ranma's eyes narrowed, "What about the agreement? It stated one of the Tendos, not just Akane."

"Akane's the only martial artist in the family. Nabiki will only take your money an-."

Ranma gripped the gi tighter, "Stop right there. You've meddled in my life for the last time, old man. This is my decision and mine alone, got it? If you want to stay healthy, you'll stop trying to interfere."

Ranma roughly pushed Genma down into the chair and turned to walk away. Genma called out, "Where do you think you're going?"

Without even bothering to say a word, the pigtailed martial artist left the waiting room and grumbled to himself as he headed over to the nurses station. After asking about Nabiki's condition he was told to wait until the doctor was finished. When Ranma asked if he could wait nearby, the nurse smiled and pointed to a chair up against the wall.

* * *

In the main waiting room, the others had arrived and were inquiring about Akane and Nabiki. Nodoka walked up to her husband, "Any word on the girls?"

Genma didn't even look up as he answered somewhat sarcastically, "No word on Akane. Ranma's gone to check on the other girl."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow but said nothing further. Kodachi turned towards Ukyo and wrapped her arms across her chest and shivered, "I really dislike hospitals."

Ukyo nodded, "Last time we were, it was to visit Ranma. Now Akane, Nabiki, and Shampoo are here."

Kodachi blinked, "That's right! Why don't we go and check on our former Amazon rival? We can come back and check on Akane later."

Ukyo brightened, "Hey, that's a great idea, sugar."

The two excused themselves and headed over to the information center. The nurse at the station informed them of where Shampoo was and after they thanked the woman, headed for her room.

* * *

Back in the waiting room, Soun and Kasumi had arrived and as usual, the Tendo matriarch was a teary eyed mess. Both Kasumi and Nodoka were gentle with the distraught father as they attempted to comfort him, "Don't worry father. Akane and Nabiki are very tough. I'm sure the doctors are just making sure they're alright."

Nodoka placed her hand on his, "Yes Soun, try and relax a bit. I can understand you being a bit upset, but your daughters are going to need you to be strong."

He took a deep breath and looked over at the waiting room door, "Yes, you're both right. I should be more in control, especially now."

Kasumi smiled as she reached over and hugged him, "That's the spirit, father."

A male voice commented from behind, "Don't worry, they're both going to be fine."

Kasumi looked up and smiled warmly, "Ono?"

Dr. Tofu gave her a quick hug, "An associate called me over when Akane was admitted. I just now received the data on both their conditions."

Soun looked up at the doctor, "And?"

"Nabiki is going to be sent home very shortly. She has a nasty bruise forming on her shoulder, but with a hot bath and a bit of salve, she'll be just fine."

Nodoka nodded, "What about Akane?"

Tofu continued, "The demon you fought drained a lot of her life energy from her. I agreed with the doctor here to keep her for a few hours. She's going to be okay, but she needs to rest here under observation until tomorrow. It's too early for visiting hours, so why don't you go home and get some rest. Come back tomorrow during normal hours and she should be ready to go home."

Kasumi smiled warmly as she gave the doctor a hug, "Thank you Ono. I'll call a cab and take father home."

The doctor grinned, "No need for that, dear Kasumi. There is a cab outside waiting for you right now."

She leaned over and kissed the doctor on the cheek, causing him to blush brightly, "Thank you."

* * *

Ranma was startled when a doctor called out his name, "Ranma Saotome?"

He quickly stood up from the chair, "Y-yes. That's me!"

The woman nodded as she checked her clipboard. "I was informed that you were Nabiki Tendo's fiancé and have authorization to take her home. She has a large bruise on the back of her shoulder and needs to soak in a hot bath for at least 20 minutes each night before bed. Also, I was to give you a special salve. She will need it rubbed on her back after each bath for the next 5 days."

Ranma nodded, "Sounds like the stuff Tofu used on me when I got hit by a baseball."

The woman chuckled, "Yes, he is the one who recommended it. You can go on into room 302 and visit with her. I'll be back in about 10 minutes with the salve and then you can take her home."

He smiled brightly, "Thanks Doc."

After thanking the doctor, Ranma walked over to Nabiki's room. He knocked once and after hearing an answer, opened the door and entered. Nabiki was sitting on the edge of the bed looking over a few of the forms the doctor had left. She looked up and when she saw Ranma, smiled playfully, "The doctor says you were the one who carried me here."

She got up off the bed and as she did, Ranma walked up to her and softly placed both hands on her arms, "Ya scared me half to death, Nabiki. Why did you run out in the open like that?"

Nabiki bit her lip for a moment before looking up again, "I keep asking myself that same question. Every time I do, I come back with the same answer. I was worried about you."

A small smile formed on his lips, "Let me get this straight. The Ice Queen of Furinkan High School ran out into a deadly battlefield because she was worried about her fiancé?"

She reached around him and clasped her hands together, "I told you once before…I love you, and I'm not going to just stand by and watch you get hurt. Never again."

Ranma gently slid his hands around her back and held her close. With her head turned towards him and resting on his shoulder, he nodded slightly, "When that ki blast hit you, I nearly panicked. If Cologne hadn't been there to help I would have been torn between continuing the fight, or abandoning it to save you.

She turned her face up to look at him as he continued, "Right then, I realized something very important, Nabiki. Since that time I was shot, even though you've had more than enough opportunities, you haven't tried to make any more money off me. You haven't drugged me, hit me, fed me poison, or tried to drag me off to China. You even took the engagement without complaining. And although you've told me before you loved me, it took seeing you risk your own life for me to realize I've been falling in love with you as well."

Her eyes shimmered and tears began to build in the corners. Before she could respond, he leaned over and gently kissed her. Nabiki was at first a bit surprised that Ranma had taken the iniative and kissed her, but she wasted no time responding in kind.

It was some time later when the two were interrupted by the clearing of someone's throat. They jerked their heads toward the door and let go of each other as a smirking doctor walked in. She picked up the clipboard and flipped causally through a few pages, "I see you're feeling much better, Miss Tendo."

They both blushed brightly as the doctor reached into her pocket and continued, "This is the salve. You're to apply it to your shoulder once each evening after your bath."

Still blushing, Ranma took the small jar and stuck it into his own pocket while Nabiki asked, "Is there anything I need to do before going home?"

She continued to look at the clipboard and smiled, "No…your family doctor took care of everything. You're fiancé can take you home now."

As the two teens quickly thanked the doctor and left, she shook her head and chuckled, "_Those two got it bad!_"

* * *

Akane was half asleep from the sedative the doctor had given her when there was a knock at the door. Moments later, Ukyo peeked in, "Hey sugar. Mind if we visit a bit?"

Akane brightened up a bit, "Yeah…sure. But aren't visiting hours over?"

Another girl stuck her head in and entered, "We won't tell if you won't."

Akane's widened, "K-Kodachi?"

Ukyo smiled, "Yeah, she's not too bad a person when you get her away from her plants and powders."

Kodachi blushed slightly, "I never realized how addictive it was. Ukyo here has offered to help me get to some treatment."

Akane was somewhat speechless, "Wow. That's…great."

Ukyo turned towards the door, "Yeah. If anyone two months ago would have said the four of us would be in the same room together as friends, I'd laughed in their face."

Akane raised an eyebrow, "Four of us?"

Kodachi nodded her head as she helped the other, "Yes we are the former four fiancés of one Ranma Saotome.

Before the Tendo daughter could respond, another girl's head appeared just above her bed, "Nihao Akane."

She sat up to look over the foot of her bed, "Shampoo?"

The Amazon shook her head, "Akane make too-too much noise. Shampoo no want to leave right now."

Ukyo pushed the wheelchair around the bed and then reached over and lowered the side rail on the bed. Akane stared, "What the heck are you doing?"

As Kodachi helped, she reached her arm around Shampoo, "Listen sugar, we just had a long talk with this girl. She has something to say to you and we feel it's pretty important. Now scoot over a bit."

Still stunned, Akane slid over on her small bed while the other two girls helped Shampoo up and onto the bed. After making sure she was comfortable Ukyo waved, "Well, we gotta go now, Akane. Don't want to get busted by the nurses."

Kodachi giggled, "Shampoo's a patient, so it's okay if she stays."

The two girls then closed the door and left while Akane stared at the girl now sitting in her bed, "Shampoo?"

After a few seconds she spoke, "Shampoo always think Akane weak girl. Shampoo never respect Akane because Shampoo never think Akane good fighter. Never good enough for Ranma."

Akane was angered by the girl's admission, but remained silent. The Amazon continued, "Shampoo pay for mistake…pay real good. Shampoo underestimate Akane and Akane kick Shampoo's butt."

Akane lowered her eyes, "I'm really sorry Shampoo-."

Shampoo shook her head, her eyes fierce, "Akane no apologize! Shampoo bring shame to Amazons. Must pay for mistake. Shampoo lose fight, lose honor, even lose Ranma."

She looked puzzled, "So now what? Do I get the kiss of death?"

The purple haired girl grinned, "Only if Akane want kiss. Otherwise Shampoo no give."

Akane chuckled, "I'll pass on that then, thank you."

There were several seconds of silence before she spoke again, "Shampoo speak with Great-grandmother. Great-grandmother say okay."

"What do you mean?"

"Amazon family not all related. Strong outsiders also make good Amazon fighters. Shampoo think Akane make good Amazon woman."

"You want me to become an Amazon?"

Shampoo nodded, "If Great-grandmother adopt Akane, Akane be Tendo, but also Amazon. Akane become Shampoo's Amazon sister. Akane teach Shampoo better Japanese, and Shampoo teach Akane better cooking."

Akane laughed for a moment, "Alright, let me think about it for a bit, okay?"

Shampoo smiled and reached over and offered her hand in friendship, "We be rivals for too-too long. Is better we be sisters."

Akane looked down at the offered hand for a moment before reaching over and clasping it firmly.

* * *

Nodoka Saotome stood by the window in the lobby and watched rain as it poured down in the night. Behind her, a familiar voice spoke, "One of the doctors said you were still here."

She turned and smiled, "Hello, Elder. I'm just waiting for the rain clear up."

The Amazon pointed to the pair of bundles the woman held, "I see you're carrying two now."

Nodoka nodded, "Yes, once the spell wears off, the blades return to normal. I talked to a nurse and she gave me a pair of sheets to wrap them with. I'll get them cleaned and returned tomorrow."

Cologne smiled, "I didn't think there were any of you left in the world. The last anyone heard of a sword mage was well over 100 years ago."

She took a deep breath and watched the rain, "It's a very special part of the Saotome art. I was trained with my sister when we were quite young. When I was in my early twenties, she disappeared and I haven't heard from her since. It is now my responsibility to pass the skill on.

Cologne nodded, "So you're going to pass your knowledge on to Ranma?"

Tears dripped down her cheeks as Nodoka shook her head, "I cannot. There is a dangerous side effect of the skill that would kill my son if he were to attempt to learn it. To become a sword mage, one first needs to be of the same blood as the teacher and that person also needs to possess female ki. A man may be able to learn the skill, but without female ki, it would drive him insane."

"You're not going to pass the skill along?"

Nodoka lowered her head, "I don't have a daughter, Elder"

Cologne smiled as she watched the rain, "Oh really now…"

The End

_I hope you've enjoyed book one of Broken Ice. I certainly had a lot of fun writing it. There many unanswered questions that could be looked at in book two. How will Ranma and Nabiki cope once word gets out, How will Akane atone for her past actions, What of the demon's threat to Ranma, Will Akane become an Amazon, will Nodoka train Ranma to become a sword mage, and finally, where the heck was Mousse? My humble thanks to all who have reviewed, it provided much encouragement. - Kniteshadow_


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